Cicer microphyllum seed

LATIN NAME: Cicer microphyllum

COMMON NAME: Small-leaved Chickpea

The small-leaved chickpea trails the delicate, feathery leaves along the low, branched stems, the small, pea-like flowers tucked among them, and the whole plant carries the fine, hardy look of the high meadow. The hardy, low, spreading herb of the high lands carries the many small, narrow leaflets along the slender, branched stems, and the small, purple-blue, pea-like flowers in the little clusters through the early summer, one of the hardy, quiet sights of the high meadow, drawing the bees, to be followed by the small, rounded, hairy pods with the tiny peas. The tiny peas have a very long record in the old practice of the high lands, and the plant is a historic presence of the high meadow. It is a plant of the open, sunny, light, gritty, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The small-leaved chickpea is a historic subject of the plant science, and the tiny peas keep showing up in the work on the wild relatives of the crop plants. The way the small, rounded, hairy pods form along the slender, branched stems has been studied steadily, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the crop relatives, the narrow leaflets and the members of the pea family. The hardy habit and the tiny seeds have also made it a fine study herb, and the small-leaved chickpea is a regular subject of the work on the tiny peas of the high world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The small-leaved chickpea is a hardy, useful plant of the high meadow and the study collection. The many small, narrow leaflets along the slender, branched stems carry the hardy look of the high meadow, one of the hardy, quiet sights of the high meadow, drawing the bees, and the tiny peas have a very long record in the old practice of the high lands, the hardy plants coming to the grazing and the steady forage of the high pastures, while the small, purple-blue, pea-like flowers in the little clusters open through the early summer, to be followed by the small, rounded, hairy pods with the tiny peas. It is one of the fine choices for the high meadow, the rock garden and the study collection, and it has been written up in the botanical and the agricultural papers for the hardy habit and the very long history. It is a hardy, useful plant of the open, sunny, light, gritty, well-drained garden.

The chickpea seeds germinate quickly in a light, sandy mix on a bright sill. The young plants are hardy and undemanding, and they grow on well in the light, well-drained ground of the open border.

To grow the small-leaved chickpea from seed, sow the round, beige seeds singly into the tray of light, sandy soil, about a centimetre down, water gently, then keep the tray in a bright, open spot. The seedlings thread up within a couple of weeks, and they grow on steadily. With the sun and the light, well-drained ground, the feathery clumps will spread over the warm months.