Lens is a genus of flowering plant in the legume family mostly known for its edible seeds, which are referred to as lentils. Lens contains four species of small, erect or climbing herbs with pinnate leaves, small inconspicuous white flowers, and small flattened pods. The lentil most commonly eaten is the seed of Lens culinaris.
The genus Lens is generally divided into a few related "gene pool" groups that guide crossing. Wong et al., 2015 reports a SNP-derived phylogeny as:[2]
LensL. nigricans
QuaternaryL. ervoides
TertiaryL. lamottei
L. odemensis (L. culinaris subsp. odemensis)
SecondaryL. tomotosus (L. culinaris subsp. tomotosus)
L. orientalis (L. culinaris subsp. orientalis)
L. culinaris (L. culinaris subsp. culinaris)
PrimaryThe non-accepted names (per ILDIS) are suffixed with their accepted counterparts.
Lens is a genus of flowering plant in the legume family mostly known for its edible seeds, which are referred to as lentils. Lens contains four species of small, erect or climbing herbs with pinnate leaves, small inconspicuous white flowers, and small flattened pods. The lentil most commonly eaten is the seed of Lens culinaris.
