''Sesamum'' is a
leguminous
A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock for ...
crop and
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of about 20 species in the flowering plant family
Pedaliaceae. The plants are
annual
Annual may refer to:
*Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year
** Yearbook
** Literary annual
*Annual plant
*Annual report
*Annual giving
*Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco
*Annuals (band), ...
or
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...
herbs with edible seeds. The best-known member of the genus is
sesame, ''
Sesamum indicum
Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus '' Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...
'' (syn. ''Sesamum orientale''), the source of
sesame seeds. The species are primarily African, with some species occurring in India, Sri Lanka, and China. The origin of ''S. indicum'' is uncertain, as it is widely cultivated and naturalized in tropical regions. The genus is closely related to the strictly African genus ''
Ceratotheca'' and is itself probably African in origin.
Species
Species include:
*''
Sesamum abbreviatum''
Merxm.
*''
Sesamum alatum''
Thonn.
*''
Sesamum angolense''
Welw.
*''
Sesamum biapiculatum''
De Wild.
*''
Sesamum calycinum''
Welw.
*''
Sesamum capense''
Burm. f.
*''
Sesamum digitaloides''
Welw. ex Schinz
*''
Sesamum gracile''
Endl.
*''
Sesamum hopkinsii''
Suess.
*''
Sesamum indicum
Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus '' Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...
''
L.
*''
Sesamum lamiifolium''
Engl.
*''
Sesamum latifolium''
J.B. Gillett
*''
Sesamum lepidotum''
Schinz
*''
Sesamum macranthum''
Oliv.
*''
Sesamum marlothii''
Engl.
*''
Sesamum mombazense''
De Wild. & T.Durand
*''
Sesamum parviflorum''
Seidenst.
*''
Sesamum pedalioides''
Welw. ex Hiern
*''
Sesamum radiatum
''Sesamum radiatum'' is a species of flowering plant in the Pedaliaceae. It is in the same genus as sesame. It is known by the English common names benniseed, black benniseed, black sesame,Konan, A. B., et al. (2011)Myostimulating effect of ''Se ...
''
Schumach. & Thonn.
*''
Sesamum rigidum''
Peyr.
*''
Sesamum rostratum''
Hochst.
*''
Sesamum sabulosum''
A.Chev.
*''
Sesamum schinzianum''
Asch.
*''
Sesamum somalense''
Chiov.
*''
Sesamum thonneri''
De Wild. & T. Durand
*''
Sesamum triphyllum''
Welw. ex Asch.
Gallery
File:Sesamum mulayanum (Rantil) in Hyderabad, AP W IMG 0278.jpg, ''Sesamum indicum
Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus '' Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...
''
File:Sesamum rigidum2.jpg, '' Sesamum rigidum''
File:Sesamum triphyllum.jpg, '' Sesamum triphyllum''
File:Семечко кунжута.jpg, Seed under a microscope
References
Lamiales genera
Pedaliaceae
{{Lamiales-stub