Common Name:

General Information

Leucaena macrophylla (subspecies macrophylla) generally forms a small, slender, and unimpressive upright tree with light branching; it can grow 4 - 7 metres tall. The bole can be 10 - 15cm in diameter[].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and is sometimes sold in local markets. It is occasionally cultivated as a food crop[].
Leucaena macrophylla is of little conservation concern. It is widespread and often locally abundant and is present in several protected areas. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern N. America - southern Mexico (Jalisco to Oaxaca)

Habitat

An understorey in various forest types including seasonally-dry deciduous, dry mattoral (mainly streambanks), oak and mixed oak forest. Often abundant following disturbance in secondary vegetation or roadsides; at elevations from 500 - 1,900 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	5.50 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Leucaena macrophylla subspecies macrophylla is found at moderately high elevations to 1,900 metres in southern Mexico. It is more cold tolerant than subspecies istmensis, but does not withstand frost. It is found in areas of seasonal rainfall, with a mean annual rainfall in the range 700 - 1,500mm and a 4 - 6 month dry season[].
Leucaena species generally require a sunny position. They are often found in the wild on poor, shallow and dry soils, usually overlying a calcareous rock. Most of them do not thrive on acid soils. Most species experience a long dry season and are more or less drought tolerant.
The plant is a common element of secondary vegetation and has the potential to spread under open ruderal conditions and become a weed[]
The unripe seedpods are harvested by climbing the trees and lopping the terminal branches or groups of pods, often crudely, with machetes, small knives or cutting poles. Annual pollarding in this way apparently causes only limited damage to the trees which resprout and fruit annually[].
The tree is moderately susceptible to damage by psyllids1518].
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[].

Edible Uses

Immature seedpods - raw or cooked[]. The seedpods are 90 - 240mm long and 9 - 26mm wide. There are 2 - 4, occasionally 8, pods produced per flower head[]

Seeds - raw or cooked[]. Often eaten raw as a snack when working in the field, Leucaena seeds are also often used as a garnish on cooked foods or added to stews, mixed with beans and maize tortillas etc. After removal from the pods, the unripe seeds can be dried and stored for later use or ground into a flour and mixed with wheat, corn etc[]. The seeds are 5 - 6mm wide and 5 - 8mm long, there are 26,000 seeds/kg[].

Young leaves - raw or cooked[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is a common element of secondary vegetation and has the potential to spread under open ruderal conditions and become a weed[]. With the added bonus of fixing atmospheric nitrogen, this sounds like a good pioneer species for use in restoring native woodland[].

Other Uses

The wood density is around average foe a species of Leucaena, with moderate formation of heartwood. Of small dimensions, it is used mainly as a fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up 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.
Cuttings of semi-ripe wood. Vegetative propagation has been successful in relatively few locations, reflecting critical environmental requirements, or possibly systemic fungi. The use of bare-root cuttings has worked in Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand[].

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: Type the digit seven into the box