Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit
| Kannada Name : | Subabul |
| Common Name : | River tamarind tree |
| Family Name : | Fabaceae |
| Scientific Name : | Leucaena leucocephala |
| Species Type : | Exotic |
| Phenology : | Evergreen |
| Conservation Status : | Not known |
| Flowering Period : | April - June |
| Fruiting Period : | August - October |
| Origin : | Southern tropical America. |
Uses
The wood is used for making pulp in the pulp and paper industry. Red, brown and black dyes are extracted from the pods, leaves and bark. A decoction of the root and bark is abortifacient. The pods and seeds are a good tonic. The roasted seeds are emollient. The seeds have a beneficial effcct and are administered in the morning on an empty stomach.
Description
Shrub or small evrgreen tree, 6-9 m tall. Bark greyish-brown, fissured. Leaves bipinnate, 4-9 pairs of pinnae, leaflets 10‐17 pairs; leaflets sessile, linear-oblong, glabrous or subglabrous, base oblique or cuneate, apex acute, margin ciliate. Inflorescence a head. Flowers bisexual, white to cream, anthers hairy. Fruit a pod, linaer and oblong, flat, pubescent, stipe up to 3 cm long. Seeds 15-25, oval, dark brown.
