Common Name:

General Information

Leucaena trichandra is a very variable plant, ranging from a slender shrub only 2 metres tall to a tree with an open spreading crown growing 5 - 20 metres tall. The bole of larger trees can be 50cm in diameter and free of branches for 3 metres[, , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild as a local source of food, though less so than several other species in the region because of the smaller size of the seeds. The mature seeds are occasionally sold in local markets[]. The tree is also a useful source of wood. It is often retained and semi-managed when woodland is cleared, is occasionally cultivated as a food crop, and is sometimes used as a shade tree in coffee plantations[].
Leucaena trichandra is a very widely distributed, but extremely variable species, and is often locally common. While the species as a whole is of little or no conservation concern, certain populations or provenances may be under threat[]. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

C. America - Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize, Guatemala, Mexico.

Habitat

An understorey or lower canopy tree or shrub in pine and oak forests at mid elevations; extending at lower elevations into dry deciduous forest, dry mattoral and dry secondary forest in a wide range of soils at elevations from 200 - 2,500 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	12.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Semi-cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Leucaena trichandra is a plant of moderate elevations in the tropics, where it is found from 700 - 2,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 17 - 22°c, but can tolerate 12 - 28°c[]. It does not tolerate frost according to one report[], whilst another says that when dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -1°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 1,800mm, but tolerates 700 - 2,500mm[].
Grows well in full sun, though it is likely to be fairly tolerant of shade[]. Prefers a moderately fertile soil of medium to heavy texture[]. Found in the wild in a wide range of soils from shallow calcareous over limestone to shallow infertile more acidic soils, being found in part of its range on thin, heavily leached, nutrient-poor acidic lithosols developed from volcanic tuff[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7.5, tolerating 5 - 8[].
The plant can escape from cultivation 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 responds well to coppicing[].
This is an extremely variable species that has sometimes been treated as several distinct species[]. Seed sources from southeast Guatemala are known to be superior in growth and in resistance to psyllid damage[].
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

Unripe pods - raw or cooked[, ]. The glossy reddish-green or maroon pods are 7 - 11cm long and 13 - 23mm wide[]. The edible pods are used in time of need[].

Immature seed - 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 3 - 4mm wide and 4 - 7mm long; there are 40,000 - 70,000 seeds/kg[]

Flower buds - raw or cooked[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

Trees are commonly retained in cropping lands and have been used to provide shade in coffee plantations, often with species of Inga and Erythrina, and generally in frost-free highland-tropical locations[, ].
The lopped leaves and twigs can be applied as green manure[].

Other Uses

An attractive wood, it is hard, heavy and durable, but not available in sufficient quantities for commercial exploitation. It is used locally for heavy construction[]. The wood is used as a source of high quality poles and corner posts for house construction[]. The wood density varies with seed source. Wood from superior seed sources have average mean density of 0.7 and moderately high proportions of durable heartwood that forms rapidly[].
The wood is valued for firewood, which is rated as good quality and easy to split[].

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.

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