Lens culinaris
Lentil

Uses

Edible uses

Notes

Seed - cooked or sprouted and eaten raw^[1]. A very nutritious food^[2]^[3], the seeds can be cooked on their own or added to soups, stews etc^[4]. The seed can be soaked for 12 hours in warm water and then allowed to sprout for about 5 days^[5]. They have a crunchy, fresh flavour^[5]. Lentils are more digestible than many legumes[K]. The dried seed can also be ground into a powder and used with cereal flours in making bread etc^[4], this greatly enhances the value of the protein in the bread. The seed stores better if it is left in its husk^[6]. Young seedpods - used fresh or cooked like green beans^[7]^[3]^[4].

Seed

Unknown use

Seedpod

Unknown use

Material uses

There are no material uses listed for Lens culinaris.

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

The seeds are mucilaginous and laxative^[8]. They are considered to be useful in the treatment of constipation and other intestinal affections^[8]. Made into a paste, they are a useful cleansing application in foul and indolent ulcers^[8].

Unknown part

Laxative

Poultice

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Nitrogen fixer

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - sow early April in situ^[1]. Some cultivars are probably suitable for sowing outdoors in the autumn, at least in the milder parts of the country^[6].

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Lens culinaris. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.

Cultivation

An easily grown plant[K], it prefers a sandy soil in a warm sunny sheltered position^[9]^[10]^[6]. Another report says that it does best on clay^[10]. It produces most seed when grown on poorer soils^[10].

Lentils are widely cultivated in warm temperate and tropical zones for their edible and very nutritious seed, there are many named varieties^[4]. The plants are much hardier than is commonly supposed and many of these varieties can succeed in Britain, particularly in warm summers. There is at least one, called 'WH2040', that can withstand temperatures as low as -23°c in the seedling stage^[6]. 'Chilean' is a low-growing plant that can be grown in the winter in areas where winter vegetables can be grown^[4]. 'HarLen' tolerates temperatures down to -10°c and performs very well in gardens^[4]. The plants take the same time as peas to mature, so lentils are a potential commercial crop for Britain^[11]. Yields of up to 2 tonnes per hectare are possible^[6]. The main problem with growing them as a commercial crop is that they are produced by using cheap labour in many countries which makes it very difficult for British farmers to compete on prices. However, this does not preclude their being grown in the garden and allotment.

Lentils are also beneficial to grow as part of a rotation on the farm or garden. They have a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby and, if the roots are left in the ground when the seeds are harvested, this will provide a source of nitrogen for the next crop^[6].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Lens culinaris. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Lens culinaris.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

References

? ^1.0^1.1^1.2 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
? ^2.0^2.1 Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press (1952-00-00)
? ^3.0^3.1^3.2 Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (1984-00-00)
? ^4.0^4.1^4.2^4.3^4.4^4.5^4.6 Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)
? ^5.0^5.1^5.2 Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. ISBN 0-330-30725-8 (1990-00-00)
? ^6.0^6.1^6.2^6.3^6.4^6.5^6.6^6.7 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
? ^7.0^7.1 Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable ISBN 0094579202 (1974-00-00)
? ^8.0^8.1^8.2^8.3 Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. (1986-00-00)
? Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8 ()
? ^10.0^10.1^10.2 Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. (1878-00-00)
? Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading ISBN 0704909820 (1986-00-00)

"image:Illustration Lens culinaris0.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

[PFAFimport-1-1] ? ^1.0^1.1^1.2 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)

[PFAFimport-171-2] ? ^2.0^2.1 Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press (1952-00-00)

[PFAFimport-177-3] ? ^3.0^3.1^3.2 Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (1984-00-00)

[PFAFimport-183-4] ? ^4.0^4.1^4.2^4.3^4.4^4.5^4.6 Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)

[PFAFimport-244-5] ? ^5.0^5.1^5.2 Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. ISBN 0-330-30725-8 (1990-00-00)

[PFAFimport-200-6] ? ^6.0^6.1^6.2^6.3^6.4^6.5^6.6^6.7 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)

[PFAFimport-61-7] ? ^7.0^7.1 Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable ISBN 0094579202 (1974-00-00)

[PFAFimport-240-8] ? ^8.0^8.1^8.2^8.3 Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. (1986-00-00)

[PFAFimport-27-9] ? Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8 ()

[PFAFimport-37-10] ? ^10.0^10.1^10.2 Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. (1878-00-00)

[PFAFimport-141-11] ? Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading ISBN 0704909820 (1986-00-00)

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Article is incomplete	Yes +
Article requires citations	No +
Article requires cleanup	Yes +
Belongs to family	Leguminosae +
Belongs to genus	Lens +
Functions as	Nitrogen fixer +
Has common name	Lentil +
Has drought tolerance	Intolerant +
Has edible part	Seeds + and Seedpod +
Has edible use	Unknown use +
Has fertility type	Self fertile + and Cleistogamous +
Has flowers of type	Hermaphrodite +
Has image	Illustration Lens culinaris0.jpg +
Has lifecycle type	Annual +
Has mature height	0.45 +
Has medicinal part	Unknown part +
Has medicinal use	Laxative + and Poultice +
Has primary image	Illustration Lens culinaris0.jpg +
Has search name	lens culinaris + and x +
Has shade tolerance	No shade +
Has soil ph preference	Acid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil teclayture preference	Clay +
Has soil teloamyture preference	Loamy +
Has soil tesandyture preference	Sandy +
Has soil water retention preference	Well drained +
Has sun preference	Full sun +
Has taxonomy name	Lens culinaris +
Has water requirements	moderate +
Is taxonomy type	Species +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soil	No +
Uses mature size measurement unit	Meters +