Biology:Trigonella caerulea

From HandWiki
Short description: Species of flowering plant

Blue fenugreek
Trigonella caerulea.jpg
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Trigonella
Species:
T. caerulea
Binomial name
Trigonella caerulea
(L.) Ser.[1]
Trigonella caerulea - MHNT

Trigonella caerulea (blue fenugreek,[2][3] blue melilot, Georgian: ულუმბო, უცხო სუნელი - ulumbo, utskho suneli)[4] is an annual herb in the family Fabaceae. It is 30–60 cm tall. Its leaves are obovate or lance-shaped, 2–5 cm long, 1–2 cm wide and saw-toothed in upper part. Its flower stalks are compact, globular racemes, longer than the leaves. The sepals are twice as short as the corolla, its teeth are equal to the tube. The corolla is 5.5-6.5 mm long and blue. The pods are erect or slightly curved, compressed, 4–5 mm long with beak 2 mm. The seeds are small and elongated. It blossoms in April–May, the seeds ripen in May–June. It is self-pollinated.[5]

Use

Blue fenugreek is widely used in Georgian cuisine, where it is known as utskho suneli.[4] It is one of the ingredients of the Georgian spice mix khmeli suneli.[6] The seeds, the pods and the leaves are used. The smell and taste are similar to ordinary fenugreek, but milder.[7] In Switzerland it is used for flavouring the traditional schabziger cheese.[8]

References

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q164849 entry