Wikipedia Article About Black chickpeas on Wikipedia The chickpea, chick pea, garbanzo bean, ceci bean, Bengal gram or chana (Cicer arietinum) is an edible pulse of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. The plant is 20 to 50 cm high and has small feathery leaves on both sides of the stem. One seedpod contains two or three peas. The flowers are white- or reddish-blue. Chickpeas need a subtropical or tropical climate and more than 400 mm annual rain. They can be grown in a temperate climate, but yields will be much lower.