Which plant family does the chickpea belong to?

Which plant family does the chickpea belong to? The chickpea belongs to the Fabaceae family.

Fabaceae is commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family. The chickpea’s scientific name is Cicer arietinum, and it is an annual plant cultivated for its edible seeds. Other familiar Fabaceae members include peas, beans, soybeans, peanuts, lentils, broad beans, alfalfa, and tamarind.

Chickpeas are legumes because they develop in pods and, like many members of the family, can participate in relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their roots. Botanically, the species is placed in the subfamily Faboideae and the genus Cicer. Its closest wild relative is Cicer reticulatum, native to southeastern Turkey.

The family name can cause confusion because “legume” may refer either to the plant family or to the pod-like fruit produced by many of its members. Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans, Bengal gram, or chana, but those culinary names do not change their botanical classification. Brassicaceae includes cabbages and mustard, Solanaceae includes tomatoes and peppers, and Poaceae includes grasses and cereals.