Black gram, also known as mungo bean, is an erect, hairy, annual bush that can grow up to 100 cm tall. It has a lightly ridged stem covered in brown hairs and large, trifoliate leaves that are also hairy and often have a purplish tint. The plant's inflorescence is borne at the end of a long peduncle and has small, yellow flowers. The fruit is a cylindrical pod that is 4–7 cm long and 0.5 cm wide, with a short hooked beak and 4–10 black or mottled seeds inside