Perennial or annual, erect or prostrate herbs or undershrubs. Leaf mostly pinnately compound, terminal leaflet sometimes modified into a tendril, or spine; leaflets dentate; stipules foliaceous, toothed or divided or spiny, stipels absent. Inflorescence axillary, solitary or few flowered, bracts small, bracteoles absent. Calyx tube oblique or gibbous, lobes subequal. Vexillum narrowed into a broad claw, appendages absent. Stamens diadelphous, 9+1, vexillary stamen free, anthers uniform. Ovary 2-few-ovuled, style not bearded, stigma terminal. Fruit sessile, oblong to ellipsoid to linear-oblong, inflated. Seed irregular ovoid.

A genus with about 38 species, distributed from Morocco to Tibet; represented in Pakistan by 4 species, including a cultivated species.

Lower Taxa

• Cicer arietinum Linn.
• Cicer macranthum M.Pop.
• Cicer microphyllum Benth.
• Cicer nuristanicum Kitamura

Related Synonym(s):

• Cicer acanthophyllum Boriss. = Cicer macranthum M.Pop.
• Cicer jacquemontii Jaub. & Spach = Cicer microphyllum Benth.
• Cicer songaricum auct.non Steph. ex DC.: Baker = Cicer microphyllum Benth.
• Cicer songaricum var. spinosum J.E.T. Aitchison = Cicer macranthum M.Pop.