Büschelbohne

Cyamopsis tetragonoloba, the cluster bean or guar, is an annual legume in the family Fabaceae cultivated extensively in South Asia, particularly India and Pakistan, as well as in semi-arid regions of Africa, Australia, and the Americas. It is one of the world's most important industrial crops, cultivated primarily for its seeds, which are ground to produce guar gum—a polysaccharide used as a thickener and stabilizer in food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and oil drilling fluids. The plant grows to 0.5–2 m in height, producing clusters of small white flowers followed by pods containing five to nine seeds. Guar is adapted to hot, semi-arid conditions with well-drained soils and is drought-tolerant, making it an important crop in drylands where other legumes struggle. It also fixes atmospheric nitrogen through symbiotic root nodule bacteria, improving soil fertility. Historically, guar pods and seeds have been used as vegetable food and livestock fodder in South Asia. With the global expansion of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the oil industry, demand for guar gum increased dramatically in the 2000s–2010s. The species has not been formally evaluated by the IUCN.