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Useful Tropical Plants

Centrosema pubescens

Benth.

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Centrosema molle Mart. ex Benth.

Common Name: Centro

Centrosema pubescens
Flowers fruit and leaves
Photograph by: Forest and Kim Starr
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Centrosema pubescens Centrosema pubescens Centrosema pubescens Centrosema pubescens Centrosema pubescens

General Information

Centrosema pubescens is a herbaceous, climbing, perennial herb. The vigorous stems scramble over the ground or twine into other plants for support[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
]. The plant has a deeply penetrating taproot[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The plant is considered to be the most productive green manure crop for fertile soils in the humid tropics and is widely grown for this purpose[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

S. America and Central America.

Habitat

Naturalized along roadsides, in waste places, on river banks and on coconut plantations at elevations near sea level[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
]..

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitPerennial Climber
Height0.00 m
Cultivation StatusCultivated

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moister tropics. It prefers an annual rainfall of 1,500 mm or more but plants have persisted in pastures receiving an average annual rainfall of only 800 mm[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. It can survive a 3 - 4 month dry season but is not adapted to prolonged drought[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. It is intolerant of low temperatures, growing poorly when they fall below 15°c[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Tolerant of waterlogged conditions[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. Plants are shade tolerant, and can persist even with shade levels as high as 80%[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The plant produces large quantities of viable seeds. It has escaped from cultivation and become established in the wild in some areas[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
]. It forms dense mats of growth on the ground, and also climbs onto trees. It is a vigorous plant that invades disturbed areas, choking out more desirable species - often the tree layer is destroyed and regeneration of native species is prevented[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
].
Centro is notoriously slow to establish and requires good conditions during the establishment period, but when grown in a pure sward it forms a dense, compact cover 35 - 45 cm deep, 4 - 8 months after sowing. It is fully established and vigorous by at least the 2nd year. In ungrazed mixtures with Panicum maximum, it forms an impenetrable vine canopy some 2 metres high. In a mixture with calopo (Calopogonium mucunoides) and puero (Pueraria phaseoloides), centro persists longest under the closing canopy of plantation crops[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
In the humid tropics, the preferred legumes for fertile and infertile soils have traditionally been centro and stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis) respectively. However, when soil mineral deficiencies are corrected and seed is inoculated with an effective bacteria, centro has been more productive than stylo on all land classes[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. Centro combines well with other species in mixed pastures or ground covers under plantation crops[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Trailing runners have a tendency to root at the nodes if soil moisture is high, giving the plant a stoloniferous appearance[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
415
Title
Tropical Forages
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/index.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Mainly focussed on forage plants, the site gives a lot of information on the plant, with a good botanical description, details of cultivation, plant uses and a good selection of photographs.
].
Pure stands of centro have produced DM yields of up to 12 tonnes per hectare per year[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Nodulation occurs with a range of rhizobia but optimal growth has been achieved with very few strains. Inoculation with an effective strain of Bradyrhizobium is, therefore, recommended[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Estimates of nitrogen fixation range from 120 - 270 kg/ha per year[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is grown as a green manure in some parts of the tropics[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].
Centro has been used as a green manure and plantation ground cover in Java and Peninsular Malaysia since the 19th century[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. It is widely used as a plantation cover and/or pasture legume in South-East Asia, the Pacific Islands, the wet tropics of Australia and indeed much of the humid tropics worldwide[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. It is valued especially in rubber plantations because of its low, twining habit, dense green cover, shade tolerance and drought resistance[
1309
Title
The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation
Publication
 
Author
Allen O.N.; Allen E.K.
Publisher
University of Wisconsin
Year
1981
ISBN
0-333-32221-5
Description
An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus.
].
It is an efficient fixer of nitrogen, with concentrations generally ranging from 2.4 - 2.7%[310.

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Up to 60% of the seed has a hard coat and will germinate better if some form of scarification is used. On a domestic scale this is most easily carried out by immersing the seed in a small quantity of very hot water for a few minutes and then leaving the seed in warm water for 12 - 24 hours before sowing. Other methods include chipping a small part of the seed case near the embryo, being very careful not to damage the seed, or, on a commercial scale, a short immersion in sulphuric acid[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
]. Seeding rate is about 5 kg/ha. Full seed-bed preparation and careful crop planting procedures are generally recommended, especially since centro is somewhat slow to establish. However, centro has been successfully sod-seeded directly into a run-down grass pasture, following heavy grazing and low slashing of the residual grass[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-12. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Centrosema+pubescens>

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