Chamaecrista pilosa
(L.) Greene
Fabaceae
Cassia emarginata Mill.
Cassia macropoda (Standl.) Standl.
Cassia pilosa L.
Cassia trichopoda luxurians Benth.
Chamaecrista macropoda Standl.
Disterepta pilosa Raf.
Common Name:
General Information
Chamaecrista pilosa is a sparsely branched, erect or procumbent, herbaceous perennial plant with stems up to 50cm long[
331- Title
- Flora of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1946 - 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].
The plant is cultivated in Venezuela in order to stabilize sand dunes[
]
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
331- Title
- Flora of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1946 - 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
Range
S. America - Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela; Caribbean - Trinidad, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Cuba.
Habitat
Dry or moist, open places, sometimes on sandbars along streams, at elevations up to 1,400 metres[
331- Title
- Flora of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1946 - 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].
Properties
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 0.40 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated |
Cultivation Details
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[
755- Title
- Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
None known
Agroforestry Uses:
The plant is grown for the stabilization of sand-dunes[
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
