Taxon:  Cajanus scarabaeoides (L.) Thouars



Summary
Genus:
Cajanus
Family:
Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)
Subfamily:
Faboideae
Tribe:
Phaseoleae
Subtribe:
Cajaninae
Nomen number:
313609
Place of publication:
F. Cuvier, Dict. sci. nat. 6:167.  1806 "Cajan scarabaeoïde"
Verified:
04/19/1988 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
3 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Dolichos scarabaeoides L.

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Atylosia scarabaeoides (L.) Benth.
Cantharospermum scarabaeoides (L.) Baill.

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Cantharospermum pauciflorum Wight & Arn.

Images (4 total. Click on image for more.)
Embryo drawing

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Ganapathy, K. N. et al. 2011. AFLP analysis in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) revealed close relationship of cultivated genotypes with some of its wild relatives. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 58:837-847.
  2. Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
  3. Hacker, J. B. 1990. A guide to herbaceous and shrub legumes of Queensland University of Queensland Press, St. Lucia, Australia.
  4. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  5. Kassa, M. T. et al. 2012. Genetic patterns of domestication in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) and wild Cajanus relatives. PLoS One 7(6):e39563. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039563.
  6. Khoury, C. K. et al. 2015. Crop wild relatives of pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]: Distributions, ex situ conservation status, and potential genetic resources for abiotic stress tolerance. Biol. Conservation 184:259-270.
  7. Lakshmi, M. et al. 2000. PCR-RFLP analysis of chloroplast gene regions in Cajanus (Leguminosae) and allied genera. Euphytica 116:243-250. Note: Netherlands journal of plant breeding
  8. Maesen, L. J. G. van der & Sadikin Somaatmadja, eds. 1989. Pulses. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 1:41.
  9. Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
  10. Mallikarjuna, N. et al. 2011. Chapter 2. Cajanus. In: Kole, C., ed., Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources, legume crops and forages 21-33.
  11. Pazhamala, L. et al. 2015. Genomics-assisted breeding for boosting crop improvement in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan). Front. Plant Sci. 6:50. Pages 1-12.
  12. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  13. Ratnaparkhe, M. B. et al. 1995. Genetic fingerprinting of pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] and its wild relatives using RAPD markers. Theor. Appl. Genet. 91:893-898.
  14. Saxena, K. B. & R. V. Kumar. 2003. Development of a cytoplasmic nuclear male-sterility system in pigeonpea using C. scarabaeoides (L.) Thouars. Indian J Gen Pl Breed 63:225-229.
Common names
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaWestern Indian OceanMadagascar  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChina  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaJapanRyukyu Islands Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaTaiwan  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentBangladesh  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentBhutan  Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndia  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentNepal  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentPakistan  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentSri Lanka  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaMyanmar  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaThailand  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaVietnam  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaIndonesiaJawa Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaMalaysia  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaPhilippines  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAsia-TropicalPapuasiaPapua New Guinea e.Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaNorthern Territory Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaQueensland Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
1NativePacificSouthwestern PacificFiji  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
4NaturalizedAfrica Africa tropicalMaesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
Native
Africa
  • WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Madagascar
Asia-Temperate
  • CHINA: China
  • EASTERN ASIA: Japan [Ryukyu Islands], Taiwan
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan
  • PAPUASIA: Papua New Guinea (e.)
  • INDO-CHINA: Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
  • MALESIA: Indonesia [Jawa], Malaysia, Philippines
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia [Queensland, Northern Territory]
Pacific
  • SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Fiji
Naturalized
Africa
  • REGION: Africa (tropical)

Reference(s)
  1. Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
  2. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  3. Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1986. Cajanus DC. and Atylosia W. & A. (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-4:183.
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=313609. Accessed 17 April 2026.