Gliricidia
Gliricidia sepium
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Clade: Hologalegina
Clade: Robinioids
Tribe: Robinieae
Genus: Gliricidia
Kunth (1842)
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Hybosema Harms (1923)
  • Yucaratonia Burkart (1969)

Gliricidia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae and tribe Robinieae. Its native range is Mexico to Peru, but Gliricidia sepium has been widely introduced to other tropical zones.[2]

The species G. sepium is a small, deciduous, ornamental tree, cultivated and used for a variety of purposes in tropical regions. The genus name Gliricidia means "mouse killer" in reference to the traditional use of the toxic seeds and bark of G. sepium as rodenticides.[3] 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 2 cm 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 butterflies—particularly the Peablue Lampides boeticus and other native birds.

Species

The following species are accepted:[2][1]

  • Gliricidia brenningii (Harms) Lavin
  • Gliricidia ehrenbergii (Schltdl.) Rydb.
  • Gliricidia maculata (Kunth) Steud.
  • Gliricidia robusta (M.Sousa & Lavin) Lavin
  • Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth

References

  1. 1 2 Lavin M, Wojciechowski MF, Gasson P, Hughes C, Wheeler E (2003). "Phylogeny of Robinioid Legumes (Fabaceae) Revisited: Coursetia and Gliricidia Recircumscribed, and a Biogeographical Appraisal of the Caribbean Endemics" (PDF). Systematic Botany. 28 (2): 387–409. doi:10.1043/0363-6445-28.2.387 (inactive 1 August 2023).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of August 2023 (link)
  2. 1 2 3 Gliricidia Kunth. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  3. ↑ Abulude, F.O; Adebote, V.T. (2009). "Antibacterial investigation of crude extracts of the root bark of Gliricidia sepium". Continental J. Microbiology (3): 23–26. S2CID 14135175.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.