Fenugreek greek

Authors:Prof. Dr. med. Peter Altmeyer, Prof. Dr. med. Martina Bacharach-Buhles

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Last updated on: 25.10.2025

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Synonym(s)

Trigonella feonum-graecum; Trigonella foenum-graecum

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HistoryThis section has been translated automatically.

DefinitionThis section has been translated automatically.

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) belongs to the subfamily Faboideae (papilionaceous plants) within the Fabaceae family (legumes) and is closely related to fenugreek (Trigonella caerulea). The fenugreek is found in southern and central Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India, China and Australia.

Fenugreek grows as an annual plant with a herbaceous appearance and reaches heights of 30 to 80 cm. Trigonellafoenum-graecum has a strong, distinctive odor. The plant produces cream to yellowish white flowers that bloom between April and July.

The clover-like leaves are divided into petioles and leaf blades. The leaf stalks are 6 to 15 mm long. The 3 identical, elongated to oval leaves are 1.5 to 4 cm long and 0.4 to 1.5 cm wide. The fenugreek forms long, narrow, horn-shaped legumes that are 7 to 12 cm long and contain 10 to 20 seeds. When the seeds are crushed, they exude an intense odor. The fruits ripen from July to September.

The ripe seeds (fenugreek seeds - Trigonellae foenugraeci semen) of the plant are used phytotherapeutically. The seeds are also used in spice mixtures such as curry.

General informationThis section has been translated automatically.

Fenugreek is one of the oldest cultivated plants of mankind, which was already used in ancient Egyptian medicine and later in Hippocratic medicine as a proven tonic.

Note(s)This section has been translated automatically.

Trigonella foenum-graecum is the parent plant of Foenugraeci Semen, the official fenugreek seed.

LiteratureThis section has been translated automatically.

  1. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/bockshornklee.php
  2. https://pflanzen.fnr.de/industriepflanzen/arzneipflanzen/pflanzen-datenbank
  3. Blaschek W (2015) Wichtl tea drugs and phytopharmaceuticals. A handbook for practitioners. Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft Munich. S 659-661

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Last updated on: 25.10.2025