Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.

  • Family

    Mimosaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit

  • Description

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    Species Description - Small tree to 5 m tall; bark light brown to grayish, smooth, slightly fissured, usually with lenticels; branches cylindrical, lenticellate, pubescent when young. Leaves 14-22 cm long; pinnae opposite, 5-7 pairs; rachis furrowed along upper surface, with a discoid gland between the lower pair of pinnae; leaflets opposite, 9-14 pairs per pinna, 7-14 mm long, oblong, chartaceous, the apex acute, the base rounded-obtuse, asymmetrical, the margins entire; stipules minute. Inflorescence axillary, the peduncles 3-4 cm long, the heads white, 1.5-2 cm diam. Calyx 1.2-1.5 mm long, pubescent; petals 2.5-2.9 mm long; filaments twice as long as the petals. Legume 15-20 X 1.5-2 cm, oblong, flattened, coriaceous, turning from green to straw-colored, the margins thick ened, straight or slightly wavy, tardily dehiscent from top to bottom. Seeds 7-8 mm long, oblong-elliptic, flattened, light brown, shiny.

  • Discussion

    Acacia glauca Willd., Sp. PL 4: 1075. 1806. Leucaena glauca (Willd.) Benth., J. Bot. (Hooker) 4: 416. 1842.

    Common names: tan tan, tanty, wild tamarind.

  • Distribution

    Common throughout the island, from moist forests to dry coastal scrubs. Susannaberg (M16576), Lameshur (A2753). Common on most of the Virgin Islands; native to Central America but widely cultivated throughout the tropics.

    Central America| Water Island Virgin Islands South America|