Gliricidia

Gliricidia
Gliricidia sepium
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Robinieae
Genus: Gliricidia
Kunth
Species[1]

Gliricidia ehrenbergii (Schltdl.) Rydb.
Gliricidia maculata (Kunth) Kunth
Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth

Synonyms

Cajalbania Urb.[1]
Hybosema Harms[1]
Yucaratonia Burkart[1]

Gliricidia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the sub family Faboideae. It is a small, deciduous, ornamental tree. The tree is leafless when in flower and bears fruits during April and May in India and countries with same climate. The small flowers (barely 2cm long) are pale pink and they are borne in dense clusters on bare twigs. Flowers fade to white or a faint purple with age. The flowers attract a lot of bees and some lycaenid (Blues-Family Lycaenidae) butterflies – particularly the Peablue Lampides boeticus and other native birds.

References

  1. ^ a b c d United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (2003): Germplasm Resources Information NetworkGliricidia. Version of 1999-MAR-05. Retrieved 2010-AUG-06.