SIMSIM PLANT CHARACTERISTICS

 Sesame is an annual plant which grows to the height of between 0.5 m and over 2m depending on the variety.

Roots: It has a large taproot and a dense surface mat of feeding roots.

Leaves: The lower leaves are opposite, broad and palmately lobed whilst the upper leaves are alternately arranged, narrow and Lancelot.

Stem: Is branched or unbranded depend on variety. Most locally grown cultivars are leafy and highly branched with strong and well developed tap rot.

Plant colour: Depending, the color of the plant may be dark green, light or purple.

Flowers: Are produced in the leaf axils, each axil with 1-3 flowers depending on the variety. Locally grown cultivars produce one flower per axil. Although simsim is predominately self-pollinated, there is up to 5% cross-pollination.

Fruits: The fruits are erect capsules about 2.5-4.0 cm long and are normally four-loculed  but may also be six or eight loculed depending on the variety. There are dehiscent and indehiscent varieties. In dehiscent varieties, the capsules split from the top down wards for about two thirds of their lengths when mature and shed seed.

Seeds: The seeds are small, one thousand seeds weighing 2.0-4.0 g, and seed color varies from white, black, grey, brown to chocolate.

Depending on the variety, the period from sowing to maturity is between 75 and 150 days Most of the locally grown cultivars in Tanzania mature in 120-150 days.