Guar, Cluster Bean
Cyamopsis senegalensis

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A bean family herb. It grows 50 cm tall. It is hairy. The leaves have 3-7 leaflets. The leaflets are oblong and usually wider below the middle. They are 5 cm long and 9 mm wide. The flowers are in groups of 5-25. The flowering groups are 12 cm long. The fruit is an erect pod 4-6 cm long. The valves twist as the pod opens. There are 7-9 seeds. The seeds are grey and square. They are 3.5 mm long and flattened.

There are 2 or 3 Cyamopsis species. It is the probably parent of Guar bean.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows up to 800 m above sea level in Africa.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Arabia, Asia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Chad, East Africa, Eritrea, India, Middle East, Senegal, Tanzania

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Barasan

Synonyms

Cyamopsis senegalensis var. stenophylla Bonnet; Cyamopsis stenophylla (Bonnet) A. Chev.;