Lens culinaris
Medik.
Cicer lens Willd.
Ervum lens L.
Lens camelorum Webb & Berthel.
Lens disperma Webb & Berthel.
Lens esculenta Moench
Vicia lens (L.) Coss. & Germ.
Common Name: Lentil
Photograph by: ChriKo
Plants with ripening seeds
Photograph by: David Monniaux
Commercial cultivation in Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Photograph by: Frank Vincentz
Three types of lentil - clockwise from top left are puy lentils, red split lentils and green lentils
Photograph by: Justinc
The sprouted seeds (on the left) are used in salads etc as a green 'live' food
Photograph by: Véronique PAGNIER
Black Beluga lentils
Photograph by: Romain Behar
Lens culinaris is a much-branched, erect, bushy, annual plant growing 30 - 80cm tall[
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
http://www.prota.org
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
Lentil is one of the oldest pulse crops and is of ancient cultivation in western Asia, Egypt and southern Europe. It probably originated in western Asia, from where it eventually spread throughout temperate and subtropical regions of the world and into the higher elevations in tropical areas. The earliest records of it being used date back to 11,000 BC in Ancient Greece, though it was another 5,000 years before it was being cultivated regularly. A very important food plant, its nutritious seed has become a staple food for many[
Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
Kampong Publications
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
Original habitat is obscure, possibly the Mediterranean.
Not known in the wild.
Pollinators Cleistogamous, Insects
Self-fertile Yes
Cultivation Status Cultivated
Lentils can be cultivated from the temperate zone to the tropics, so long as there is a growing season of 4 months or more with a fairly dry period as the seed is ripening. In the tropics it can be grown at elevations up to 3,800 metres[
]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 15 - 29°c, but can tolerate 5 - 32°c[
]. The plants are much hardier than is commonly supposed and there is at least one cultivar, called 'WH2040', that can withstand temperatures as low as -23°c in the seedling stage[
]. The plant prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 600 - 1,000mm, but tolerates 250 - 2,500mm[
]. Dry conditions must prevail just prior to, and at, harvest time[
An easily grown plant[
], it prefers a sandy soil in a warm sunny sheltered position[
The Vegetable Garden.
Vilmorin. A.
A reprint of a nineteenth century classic, giving details of vegetable varieties. Not really that informative though.
The Gardener's Assistant.
Thompson. B.
Blackie and Son.
Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.
]. Another report says that it does best on clay[
]. The plant can grow well on many soil types, so long as they are well-drained[
]. It produces most seed when grown on poorer soils, richer soils tending to favour vegetative growth at the expense of flowering[
]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7.5, tolerating 4.5 - 8.2[
Flowering usually starts 6 - 7 weeks after sowing the seed. Early maturing cultivars can produce a seed crop in 70 - 120 days, late cultivars take 120 - 130 days[
Lentils are harvested when the pods turn yellow-brown and the lower ones are still firm. Further delay may lead to shattering. In many areas the plant is cut down manually to ground level and left to dry for about 10 days, before being threshed and winnowed. Alternatively, for instance in Ethiopia, lentils are harvested by hand-pulling the plants, after which they are left in the field to dry to a seed moisture content of 12 - 13%[
The common yield of seed under dry conditions is about 340 - 670 kilos per hectare, increasing to between 900 - 1,700 kilos at more favourable sites[
]. In some areas yields of 3 - 4 tonnes per hectare have been achieved[
There are many named varieties[
Lentils are very beneficial to grow as part of a rotation on the farm or garden. They have a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby and, if the roots are left in the ground when the seeds are harvested, this will provide a source of nitrogen for the next crop[
Seed - cooked or sprouted and then eaten raw or cooked[
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
F. Chittendon.
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. A very nutritious food[
Economic Botany.
Hill. A. F.
The Maple Press
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some detail about the plants it does cover.
], the seeds can be cooked on their own or added to soups, stews etc[
]. The seed can be soaked for 12 hours in warm water and then allowed to sprout for about 5 days[
Phillips. R. & Foy. N.
Pan Books Ltd. London.
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.
]. They have a crunchy, fresh flavour[
]. Lentils are more digestible than many legumes[
]. The dried seed can also be ground into a powder and used with cereal flours in making bread etc[
], this greatly enhances the value of the protein in the bread. The whole seed is roasted, then salted and eaten as a snack[
]. The seed stores better if it is left in its husk[
Young seedpods - used fresh or cooked like green beans[
A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
Usher. G.
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
The seeds are mucilaginous and laxative[
]. They are considered to be useful in the treatment of constipation and other intestinal affections[
Made into a paste, the seeds are a useful cleansing poultice, applied to foul and indolent ulcers[
Agroforestry Uses:
The plant can be used as a green manure[
Lentil is mainly grown as a sole crop, but sometimes mixed with other crops, e.g. in India with barley, mustard or castor[
The seeds are a source of starch for the textile and printing industries[
The plant remains, after the seed has been harvested, can be used as a fuel[
Seed - sow in situ[
]. A dormancy period of 4 - 6 weeks after harvest is common, and some cultivars have been found to be responsive to vernalization[299. The minimum temperature for germination is 15°c and the optimum temperature 18 - 21°c; temperatures above 27°c are harmful. At optimum temperatures, the seeds germinate in 5 - 6 days[
Seeds can remain viable for more than 5 years under cool and dry storage conditions[
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2023-02-01. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Lens+culinaris>
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