Pigeon pea
Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.
Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) is a legume-family shrub; its yellow flowers cluster and the flat pods hold 2–9 brown seeds; the protein-rich seeds are cooked in soups and curries; young pods and seeds are eaten as a vegetable, and the plant improves soil.
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Gallery
Pigeon pea — SeedsPigeon pea — Plant
Pigeon pea — Leaves
Pigeon pea — Flowers
Pigeon pea — Pods
Pigeon pea — Dried podsPigeon pea — SeedsPigeon pea — PlantOverview
Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), also called Congo pea, red gram or gandule, is a shrub of the legume family (Fabaceae) native to India. It lives one to four years, grows 1–4 m tall, and has a slightly woody base and many branches. The leaves are trifoliate with ovate to lance-shaped leaflets, alternate and hairy beneath. The pea-like flowers grow in clusters at the leaf axils and tips, yellow to orange-yellow, sometimes streaked with red or purple. The fruit is a straight, flat, hairy pod 4–8 cm long containing 2–9 round to oval seeds that may be brown, red-brown or yellow. The protein-rich seeds are commonly cooked in porridge, curry, soup or stew; young seeds and pods can be eaten as a vegetable. It is a versatile crop of the dry tropics: root nodules fix nitrogen and improve the soil, and the stems and leaves serve as fodder. The plant likes sun and tolerates drought very well. In Vietnam, pigeon pea is grown widely in the northern mountains and the Central Highlands.
Life cycle
From seed to productPlant
https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Cajanus_cajan_kz03.jpg/1920px-Cajanus_cajan_kz03.jpg
Leaves
https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Starr-090602-8777-Cajanus_cajan-leaves_and_pods-Wailuku-Maui_%2824594387329%29.jpg/1920px-Starr-090602-8777-Cajanus_cajan-leaves_and_pods-Wailuku-Maui_%2824594387329%29.jpg
Flowers
https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Cajanus_cajan%2C_Inflorescence_01.jpg/1920px-Cajanus_cajan%2C_Inflorescence_01.jpg
Pods
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Cajanus_cajan%2C_Infructescence.jpg
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- India & South Asia45%
- East Africa20%
- Southeast Asia15%
- Central America & Caribbean10%
- Other regions10%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- Carbohydrates60%
- Protein22%
- Fibre8%
- Water5%
- Minerals & vitamins3.3%
- Fat1.7%
Uses
- Food: seeds cooked in soup, curry, porridge and stew; young seeds and pods eaten as a vegetable; rich in protein
- Agriculture: fixes nitrogen, improves soil, acts as a windbreak and intercrop; stems and leaves used as fodder and fuel
- Folk medicine: seeds and leaves used for coughs and as a diuretic; crushed seeds as a poultice for boils; in India used for jaundice
- Other: seeds fed to birds; stems used for stakes and fences; planted around homes
Properties
- Form
- Small shrub
- Flower
- Yellow, pea-like
- Pod
- Straight, flat, 2–9 seeds
- Uses
- Food, fodder, soil improvement
Habitat & conservation
Pigeon pea is native to India and is grown widely across the dry tropics and subtropics, especially in India, East Africa and Southeast Asia. It likes sun and tolerates drought and poor soils very well, with deep roots and nitrogen-fixing root nodules. It is grown from seed and can be harvested about 3–4 months after sowing. In Vietnam, pigeon pea is grown widely in the northern mountains and the Central Highlands, both for food and for soil improvement.
Conservation
A widely cultivated tropical species, not yet assessed by IUCN (NE). Legume family (Fabaceae), genus Cajanus.
References
- 1Plants of the World Online — Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. — Kew Science, 2026
- 2Pigeon pea — mô tả, trồng trọt, sử dụng — Wikipedia tiếng Anh, 2026
- 3Đậu gà — đặc điểm, công dụng — Wikipedia tiếng Việt, 2026
- 4木豆 Cajanus cajan — 形態、用途 — Wikipedia tiếng Trung, 2026
- 5Nguồn ảnh: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz (CC BY-SA 4.0) / Forest and Kim Starr (CC BY 3.0 US) / Filo gèn' (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons,
- 6Nguồn ảnh: David E Mead (CC0) — Wikimedia Commons,