There are two groups of Chickpea – Desi and Kabuli, mainly distinguished by seed size, shape and colour.

They also have different growth requirements, markets and end-users;

• Desi types have small angular seeds weighing about 120 mg, are wrinkled at the beak and range in colour from brown, light brown, fawn, yellow, orange, black or green. They are normally dehulled and split to obtain dhal and are favoured in India.
• Kabuli have large, rounder seeds, weighing about 400mg. They are white to cream coloured and are almost exclusively used whole. They are preferred through the Mediterranean region.

The plant is erect and freestanding, ranging in height from 15 to 60cm although well-grown plants may reach 80cm. They have a fibrous taproot system, a number of woody stems forming from the base, upper secondary branches and fine, frond-like leaves. Each leaflet has a thick covering of glandular hairs that secrete a strong acid (malic) particularly during pod-set, and this provides some protection from insets. The plant can derive more than 70% of its nitrogen from symbiotic nitrogen fixation