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Trigonella
foenum-graecum L.
Standardized Common
Name: Fenugreek
Other Common Name: Greek Hay
Family: Fabaceae
(Leguminosae)
Taxonomy: Trigonella includes about 50 species; its most important center
of diversity is in the Mediterranean and Southwest Asian region, to which T.
foenum-graecum is native.
Description: Annual herb; stems
erect, branching from base, to 50 cm high. Leaves alternate, stipulate with
stipules fused to petiole, long-petioled, trifoliolate; leaflets obovate to
oblanceolate, 1–3 cm long; apex obtuse to emarginate; margins dentate. Flowers
axillary, solitary or paired; calyx tubular, 7–8 mm long, with 5 long teeth;
corolla bilaterally symmetrical, 12–18 mm long, yellowish-white, sometimes
violet-tinged; keel petal free of wings, standard petal obovate; stamens 10, 9
with filaments basally fused into a group, 1 free; gynoecium of 1 carpel,
superior. Fruit a legume, 5–12 cm long, 3–5 mm broad, with beak 1–3.5 cm long,
more or less terete, straight or moderately curved. Seeds 3–5(–6) mm long,
oblong to rhomboidal, flattened, yellowish-brown, with deep diagonal groove.
Parts
in Commerce:
Seeds
Identification:
- 3–5 mm long, 2–3
mm broad; not smaller, nor as broad as long
- Oblong to
rhomboidal, with distinct angles, irregular, somewhat flattened
- Diagonal groove
running across both broad faces toward one narrow end, often giving
“mitten-shaped” appearance; radicle is found in corner defined by groove,
cotyledons in remaining larger portion of seed
- Groove
originates from depressed area on long narrow side, where hilum appears as
small white spot
- Often appearing
shriveled, with few but conspicuous wrinkles; bearing minute bumps
- Yellowish brown
outside, yellow inside
- Odor
characteristic, similar to elm
- Taste slightly
bitter, floury and mucilaginous or oily
References:
British Herbal Medicine
Association. British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. BHMA; 1996:80–81.
Huber-Morath A. Trigonella. In: Davis PH, ed.
Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, vol. 3. Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press; 1970: 452–482.
Ivimey-Cook RB. Trigonella. In: Tutin TG, Heywood VH, Burges NA, et al.,
eds. Flora Europaea. Vol. 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press; 1968:150–152.
Wichtl M, ed. Herbal Drugs and
Phytopharmaceuticals, 3rd English
ed. Stuttgart: medpharm Scientific Publishers and Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press;
2004:216–219.
Youngken HW. Text-Book of Pharmacognosy, 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: The Blakiston
Company; 1943:447–448.
Figure 78: Trigonella foenum-graecum seed.
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