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Vicia lens

Table of Contents

Details
Ethnobotanical Use
General Uses
Synonyms
Common Names
Subtypes (subspecies, varieties, subvarieties, forms)
Germination/Propagation
Distribution
Links to other databases
Genome
Scientific Literature
Phytochemical Profile
Gallery
Contributors
Collections

Details Top

Internal ID UUID643fded3a5d31063800423
Scientific name Vicia lens
Authority (L.) Coss. & Germ.
First published in Fl. Descr. Anal. Paris: 143 (1845)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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General Uses Top

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Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Seeds of Vicia lens (syn. Lens culinaris Medik.)—commonly called lentils—are consumed as a pulse (whole or dehulled) and flour in global cuisine. Applications include simmered whole-seed dishes (e.g., dal/soups), side dishes, salads, and plant-based spreads. Flour is used in flatbreads, batters, and gluten-free mixes; flour inclusion affects dough rheology due to relatively low gluten-forming proteins. Dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates drive textural properties and water absorption in preparations. Harvesting stage and dehulling alter seed hardness and cooking time.

Scientific/model-organism use:
Lens culinaris (Vicia lens) is a model crop for legume research. Seedlings and mature plants are used in studies of nitrogen fixation and symbiosis, nitrogen partitioning, and seed development and composition. Genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic resources (e.g., NCBI Lens culinaris assembly and annotation; UniProt; legume databases such as LegumeInfo and SoyBase) support community-wide analyses. The species contributes to comparative studies across Fabaceae.

Properties relevant to use:
Seeds contain high protein and fiber, with cooking behavior driven by seed coat integrity and seed density. Dehulling reduces seed-coat fiber and shortens cooking time. Flour functionality (water absorption and pasting) influences product formulations, making lentil flour suitable for non-wheat blends. Gametophytic self-incompatibility and a predominantly self-pollinating reproductive system are relevant for breeding and maintenance of pure lines.

Sustainability and sourcing:
Lentil cultivation requires relatively low nitrogen fertilizer inputs because of biological nitrogen fixation. Production is distributed globally across temperate and semi-arid regions; supply systems provide dried seeds, splits, and flour for commercial and household use. Adjusting agronomic practices to maintain stable seed size and quality supports consistent processing and product performance.

Biological and cultivar data relevant to agronomic performance and processing quality are managed in standard plant-genetic databases used by researchers and breeders.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Ervum lens L. Sp. Pl.: 738 (1753)
Lens culinaris Medik. Vorles. Churpfälz. Phys.-Ökon. Ges.2: 361 (1787)
Lentilla lens (L.) W.Wight Bull. Bur. Pl. Industr. U.S.D.A.261: 39 (1912)
Lathyrus lens (L.) Bernh. Syst. Verz. Erf.: 247 (1800)
Orobus lens (L.) Stokes Bot. Mat. Med.4: 37 (1812)
Cicer lens (L.) Willd. Sp. Pl., ed. 4, 3: 1114 (1802)
Lens culinaris var. disperma (Roxb.) P.Fourn. Quatre Fl. France: 586 (1937)
Vicia lens subsp. subexasperma (Godr.) Arcang. Comp. Fl. Ital.: 207 (1882)
Lens lens (L.) Huth Helios 11: 134 (1893)
Lens esculenta Moench Methodus : 131 (1794)
Lens culinaris subsp. esculenta Briq. Prodr. Fl. Corse 2(1): 392 (1913)

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
Azerbaijani mərcimək
ce Маьрджимаьк (Каьлбаьджаьран кӀошт)
Chinese 兵豆

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Name Authority First published in
Lens culinaris subsp. culinaris Unknown
Vicia lens subsp. lamottei (Czefr.) H.Schaef., Coulot & Rabaute Bull. Soc. Bot. Centre-Ouest. Numero Special46: 218 (2016)
Vicia lens subsp. lens Unknown

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Africa
    • East Tropical Africa
      • Kenya
      • Tanzania
    • Macaronesia
      • Azores
      • Canary Islands
      • Madeira
    • Northeast Tropical Africa
      • Ethiopia
    • Northern Africa
      • Algeria
      • Libya
      • Morocco
      • Tunisia
    • South Tropical Africa
      • Mozambique
      • Zimbabwe
    • Western Indian Ocean
      • Mauritius
      • Rodrigues
      • Réunion
  • Asia-temperate
    • Arabian Peninsula
      • Yemen
    • Caucasus
      • North Caucasus
      • Transcaucasus
    • China
      • China North-central
      • China South-central
      • China Southeast
      • Inner Mongolia
      • Tibet
      • Xinjiang
    • Middle Asia
      • Kazakhstan
      • Kirgizstan
      • Tadzhikistan
      • Uzbekistan
    • Mongolia
      • Mongolia
    • Siberia
      • Altay
      • Krasnoyarsk
      • West Siberia
    • Western Asia
      • Afghanistan
      • Cyprus
      • East Aegean Islands
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Lebanon-Syria
      • Palestine
      • Turkey
  • Asia-tropical
    • Indian Subcontinent
      • Assam
      • Bangladesh
      • East Himalaya
      • India
      • Nepal
      • Pakistan
      • Sri Lanka
      • West Himalaya
    • Indo-China
      • Vietnam
    • Malesia
      • Jawa
    • Papuasia
      • New Guinea
  • Europe
    • Eastern Europe
      • Baltic States
      • Belarus
      • Central European Russia
      • East European Russia
      • Krym
      • North European Russia
      • Northwest European Russia
      • South European Russia
      • Ukraine
    • Middle Europe
      • Austria
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Germany
      • Hungary
      • Switzerland
    • Southeastern Europe
      • Albania
      • Bulgaria
      • Greece
      • Italy
      • Kriti
      • Romania
      • Sicilia
      • Yugoslavia
    • Southwestern Europe
      • Corse
      • France
      • Portugal
      • Sardegna
      • Spain
  • Northern America
    • Northeastern U.S.A.
      • New York
    • Southeastern U.S.A.
      • Maryland

Links to other databases Top

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Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000212728
Tropicos 13034845
INPN 129211
Flora of Italy 12594
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:524872-1
IPNI 524872-1
GBIF 3973001
CMAUP NPO22782

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

Scientific Literature Top

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Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives / Gallic acid and derivatives / Gallic acids
Gallic Acid 370 Click to see 170.12 unknown via CMAUP database
> Hydrocarbons / Unsaturated hydrocarbons / Enynes
1,11-Tridecadiene-3,5,7,9-tetrayne 5322026 Click to see CC=CC#CC#CC#CC#CC=C 164.20 unknown via CMAUP database
trans,trans-1,3,11-Tridecatriene-5,7,9-triyne 5322028 Click to see 166.22 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acids and conjugates / Heterocyclic fatty acids / Furanoid fatty acids
Wyerone 643733 Click to see CCC=CC#CC(=O)C1=CC=C(O1)C=CC(=O)OC 258.27 unknown via CMAUP database
Wyerone acid 5281156 Click to see 244.24 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acyl glycosides / Fatty acyl glycosides of mono- and disaccharides
(2R,3R,4S,5R,6S)-2-methyl-6-[(2S)-6-methyl-2-[(1S)-4-methylcyclohex-3-en-1-yl]hept-5-en-2-yl]oxyoxane-3,4,5-triol 57384017 Click to see 368.50 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty alcohols / Long-chain fatty alcohols
(2S,3E,11E)-trideca-3,11-dien-5,7,9-triyne-1,2-diol 5281155 Click to see CC=CC#CC#CC#CC=CC(CO)O 200.23 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Hopanoids
Hydroxyhopane 397488 Click to see CC1(CCCC2(C1CCC3(C2CCC4C3(CCC5C4(CCC5C(C)(C)O)C)C)C)C)C 428.70 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene glycosides
[[(1S,8abeta)-Decahydro-1alpha,4aalpha-dimethyl-7beta-isopropenylnaphthalen]-1-yl]beta-D-fucopyranoside 101589111 Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2(CCCC3(C2CC(CC3)C(=C)C)C)C)O)O)O 368.50 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene glycosides / Triterpene glycosides / Triterpene saponins
(2S,3S,4S,5R,6R)-6-[[(3S,4S,6aR,8aR,9S,10R,14bR)-9-[(2S,3R,4S,5R)-3,5-dihydroxy-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-10-hydroxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)-4,6a,6b,8a,11,11,14b-heptamethyl-1,2,3,4a,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,12a,14,14a-tetradecahydropicen-3-yl]oxy]-5-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-4,5-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-3-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-3,4-dihydroxyoxane-2-carboxylic acid 11968947 Click to see 1269.40 unknown via CMAUP database
soyasaponin I(1-) 53477584 Click to see 942.10 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene lactones / Diterpene lactones
methyl (2S,4aS,6aR,7R,10aR,10bR)-2-(furan-3-yl)-7-hydroxy-6a,10b-dimethyl-4-oxo-2,4a,5,6,10,10a-hexahydro-1H-benzo[f]isochromene-7-carboxylate 10452040 Click to see 374.40 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids
Squalene 638072 Click to see 410.70 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Alpha amino acids and derivatives / Alpha amino acids / L-alpha-amino acids
(+)-gamma-Hydroxy-L-homoarginine 441450 Click to see C(CN=C(N)N)C(CC(C(=O)O)N)O 204.23 unknown via CMAUP database
gamma-hydroxy-L-arginine 164980 Click to see 190.20 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Pyridines and derivatives / 3-pyridinecarbonitriles
Ricinine 10666 Click to see CN1C=CC(=C(C1=O)C#N)OC 164.16 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Hydroxycoumarins / 7-hydroxycoumarins
Scopoletin 5280460 Click to see 192.17 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides
Neocarthamin 46173973 Click to see 450.40 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides
Astragalin 5282102 Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O 448.40 unknown via CMAUP database
Isoquercetin 5280804 Click to see 464.40 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-7-O-glycosides
3-[(2S,3R,4R,5S)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]oxy-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5-hydroxy-7-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-one 102145595 Click to see 596.50 unknown via CMAUP database
Luteolin 7-O-glucoside 5280637 Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O)O)O 448.40 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Tannins / Hydrolyzable tannins
Ellagic Acid 5281855 Click to see 302.19 unknown via CMAUP database

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Collections Top

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