On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This article is about the species Lens culinaris. For the meaning lentil recipes “lentil” in Indian English, see legume.

It is an annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. Lentils are used around the world for culinary purposes. Many different names in different parts of the world are used for the crop lentil. The first use of the word lens to designate a specific genus was in the 16th century by the botanist Tournefort. Lens is a small genus which consists of the cultivated L.

Among the different taxa of wild lentils, L. Lentil is hypogeal, which means the cotyledons of the germinating seed stay in the ground and inside the seed coat. Therefore, it is less vulnerable to frost, wind erosion, or insect attack. It has many hairy branches and its stem is slender and angular.

The rachis bears 10 to 15 leaflets in five to eight pairs. The leaves are alternate, of oblong-linear and obtuse shape and from yellowish green to dark bluish green in colour. Normally, each of them contains two seeds, about 0. The seeds can also be mottled and speckled.

The several cultivated varieties of lentil differ in size, hairiness, and colour of the leaves, flowers, and seeds. The flowering begins from the lowermost buds and gradually moves upward, so-called acropetal flowering. About two weeks are needed for all the flowers to open on the single branch. At the end of the second day and on the third day after the opening of the flowers, they close completely and the colour begins to fade. After three to four days, the setting of the pods takes place.

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Types can be classified according to their size, whether they are split or whole, or shelled or unshelled. Seed coats can range from light green to deep purple, as well as being tan, grey, brown, black or mottled. Shelled lentils show the colour of the cotyledon which can be yellow, orange, red, or green.

Beluga: black, bead-like, lens-shaped, almost spherical, named for resemblance to beluga caviar. In 2020, global production of lentils was 6. The cultivated lentil Lens culinaris subsp. Historical Geography of Crop Plants, 2017.