Trees to 15 m. Leaves (15–)19–30(–35) cm; stipules triangular, ca. 0.5–2 × 1 mm; petiole 1.5–3 cm, glabrate; rachis canalic­­ulate; petiolules 1–3 mm, gla­brate; leaflet blades narrowly elliptic to elliptic, 44–83 × (17–)21–42(–48) mm, base attenuate to rounded, apex often broadly pointed. Racemes: rachises with 30–100 nodes mostly 0.1–2 mm apart, axis mostly glabrate to sparsely strigose; bracts persistent, triangular, 0.8–1.2 × 1 mm. Pedicels 5–11(–15) mm. Flowers: calyx tube (5.5–)6–9 mm, glabrous or sparsely strigose, lobes equal, inconspicuous, 0.1–0.2 mm; corolla 15–23 mm, glabrous; filaments subequal; anthers relatively small, dehiscing longitudinally. Legumes light to dark brown, 100–170(–230) × 14–22 mm, base blunt, apex acute, often terminating in persistent style base. 2n = 20, 22.

Phenology: Flowering year-round.
Habitat: widely elsewhere in tropical and sub­tropical areas..
Elevation: 0–50 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Introduced; Fla., Mexico, Central America, nw South America, introduced also in West Indies (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands), widely elsewhere in tropical and sub­tropical areas.

Discussion

Gliricidia sepium is native to seasonally dry neo­tropical forests of Mesoamerica and is now widely introduced in tropical regions (M. Lavin and M. Sousa S. 1995).

Economic uses of Gliricidia sepium were reported by C. E. Hughes (1987). The wood is used in construction, the leaves for medical purposes and livestock fodder, and the tree is cultivated as an ornamental, as shade for coffee and cacao trees, and as part of a living fence system. Common names in Latin America, including madricacao, madriado, and mataratón, reflect the broad economic importance of this species.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.