It is an erect or spreading much-branched annual herb, covered all over with glandular hair. The leaves are pinnately compound, leaflets are opposite or alternate, stipulate and strongly veined. The flowers are papilionaceous, white to various shades of pink or blue. The pods are one or two seeded. The seeds are attached to ventral suture, beaked, round or semi-round, wrinkled or semi-wrinkled and exalbuminous. The seed coat is yellow, faun, green, orange-brown, pink or black, smooth, puckered, granular or tuberculate. There are two varieties cultivated in India, one is a Macrosperma plant with big pods and the other is a Microsperma plant with small pods (Both are genetically different).

Lowers blood lipids and cholesterol, reduces stress, builds endurance and vigor, estrogenic, aphrodisiac, anthelmintic, stimulant and tonic. An acid exudation from the seedpods is astringent.

Cicer arietinum L.
Plants for a Future
Herbal Monograph

Alanine, arginine, ascorbic acid, aspartic acid, beta-carotene, cystine, daphnetin, folacin, genistein, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, linoleic acid, lysine, methionine, MUFA, niacin, oleic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, riboflavin, stearic acid, thiamin, tyrosine, valine, tryptophan (seed). Biochanin A, formononetin, pangamic acid and a free nucleotide.

In leprosy, bronchitis, biliousness, skin diseases and used as nourishing hair and face washes. It has been used in the treatment of dyspepsia, constipation and snakebite.

Sharma, Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants.