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Pigeon Pea

Cajanus cajan

Summary 5

Pollen:Low
Nectar:Low

Bear continually and are 2 varietals yellow & yellow streaked with red (p. 116 Barlow 1993)

A valuable and important legume adapted to the tropics and subtropics. It grows as a bush, but is cultivated as an annual for fodder and for edible weeds. The bisexual flowers may remain open for about 6 hours; pollen is shed on the previous day. Flowers are self-pollinated, and seed can be produced in the absence of insects, but flowers are much visited by bees and there is about 20% cross-pollination. Only heavy insects can trip the flower...Large wild bees can do this, including Chalicodoma, Megachile and Xylocopa. Honeybees collect nectar from the plant which is an important honey source, but as cross-pollinators they are less successsful than larger bees; if the density of honeybees is high they are effective...(Crane, E., & Walker, P. (1984). Pollination Directory for World Crops)

Flowering time 4-8? India. Naturalised to some extent in [S. Africa] Dry bean (pulse) crop. Annual to short-lived perennial shrub with yellow to orange pea flower...Long flowering for up to two months. Considered to be self-pollinating but bee visits increase pollen depisition on the stigmas. (Johannsmeier, M. F. (2016). Beeplants of South Africa: Sources of Nectar, Pollen, Honeydew and Propolis for Honeybees)

Although the precise origin is unknown, the plant is probably native to semiarid savannas and woodlands of eastern India, where it was domesticated more than 3,000 years ago. Another possible place of origin is eastern Africa, where the plant has been cultivated since prehistoric times. It is unknown in the wild. This drought and heat resistant shrub is grown on a small scale throughout the tropics, in semiarid and humid climates. (Blancke, R. (2016). p.47 Tropical fruits and other edible plants of the world: An illustrated guide.)

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Andres Hernandez S., some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/andresdjhs/11989239015/
  2. (c) Forest and Kim Starr, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/starr-environmental/24254388834/
  3. (c) Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/agriculturasp/5256312826/
  4. Francisco Manuel Blanco (O.S.A.), no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cajanus_cajan_Blanco1.167.jpg
  5. (c) Megan W., some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

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