10 Graines Popinac Blanc, Leucaena leucocephala, faux mimosa

White Popinac, Leucaena Leucocephala, False Mimosa |

The generic name, " Leucaena ", comes from the Greek Leukos which means white, while thespecific epithet, " LeuCocephala ”To the same Greek origin, formed from the roots Leukos and Kephalê, which designates the head, referring to the big white glomerles which cover the summit.

10 SeedS - Soak the seeds 24 hours before sowing in lukewarm water

False acacia, false mimosa, white cassie, leucaene with white heads, monval, bourro wood, wild tamarin, formerly "hoaxin" in Mexico then "guaje" in Spanish 2.

It flowers from the end of spring to the fall (June to September) and gives glomerules axillary white cream or greenish white from 2 to 3 cm in diameter, carried by a peduncle of 2 to 5 cm of long. These inflorescences have a pompom form4.

Its fruits are long pods flat 8 to 20 cm long and 2 cm wide and hanging. They are translucent green turning brown at maturity. They contain 8 to 18 elliptical seeds 8 mm long and 4 mm wide, orange brown color4.

This species supports any type of soil, appreciates the sun and is perfectly suited to the dryness.

This Meliferous plant is used for various purposes : young shoots used raw or cooked as a vegetable2, firewood or , Diet of cattle ( Mimosine not toxic for ruminant animals5) and above all production of Biomass Because its foliage yield corresponds to a dry mass of 2 000 to 20 000 kg / ha / year, and 30-40 m³ / ha / year of wood, with up to twice these figures under good climates.

It is also particularly effective in the nitrogen fixation, with more than 500 kg / ha / year. It is thus useful as Green fertilizer but also to shade plantations and fight against erosion.

The dried seeds are used to make necklaces in the Antilles and various parts have medicinal uses in Latin America2.

During the 1970s and 1980s, he was considered a " Miracle tree " for his multiple uses6.

One of the drawbacks of this species is its sensitivity to insectinfestations. In the 1980s, there were large losses in Southeast Asia due to attack by pests from the Psyllides family7.

This species is designated as an " invasive plant ". Its potential for dissemination is such that, in certain places, it can form monospecific stands on important areas4,8,9. Introduced as a fodder plant in XIX^e century in New Caledonia, today it jeopardizes the subsistence of dry forests. It proliferates in particular on the west coast, in abandoned meadows and in high sloping areas4.

Contents subject to the CC-BY-SA 3.0 license. Source : Article Leucaena Leucocephala by Wikipedia in French (Authors)