http://isu.icrisat.org/Training/sds.16.pdf

Shoot system of chickpea

Stem

The chickpea stem is erect, branched, viscous, hairy, herbaceous, green, and solid. The branches are usually quadrangular, ribbed, and green. There are primary, secondary, and tertiary branches.

Leave

Chickpea leaves are petiolate, compound, and uniimparipinnate (pseudoimparipinnate). Some lines have simple leaves. The rachis is 3-7 cm long with grooves on its upper surface. Each rachis supports 10-15 leaflets each with a small pedicel. The leaflets do not end at the true terminal position (the central vein continuing the rachis) but at the subterminal position (the central vein oblique to the rachis).

 

Stipules

The stipules are ovate to triangular in shape and serrated (2-6 teeth). They are 3-5 mm long and 2-4 mm wide. The longest margin is toothed and the smaller one entire.

 Pubescence

The external surface of the chickpea plant, except the corolla, is densely covered with glandular or nonglandular hairs. The hairs vary in form and dimension: short stalked, multicellular stalked (both glandular and nonglandular), and unicellular. Some genotypes, however, do not possess any hair.