SUBABHUL

Description:

Habit & Habitat: It is a small, variably shrubby and highly branched (ssp. leucocephala) to medium-sized tree with a short, clear bole to 5 m, upright angular branching and a narrow
open crown (ssp. glabrata), 3-15 (max. 20) m tall, bole diameter 10-50 cm.

Leaves: Bipinnately-compound leaves with small grey-green leaflets, pungent when crushed.

Flowers: flowers tinged with yellow resembling mimosa and long flattened pods.

Fruits: The fruit are elongated (linear), flattened, pods with a pointed tip (beaked apex). These pods (8-22.5 cm long and 10-20 mm wide) are initially green in colour, but turn
brown or reddish-brown as they mature. Several pods will usually develop from each flower cluster.

Uses: Leucaena is valuable for its wood, which is used to make good quality charcoal, small furniture and paper pulp. Its young shoots, young leaves and seeds may be used as a

vegetable in human nutrition. Seeds can also be used as a substitute of coffee or as pieces of jewellery.