Gliricidia /QuickStick Tree

Gliricidia sepium

Summary: A fast growing small to mid-sized deciduous tree from tropical America with light canopy, feather compound leaves having 9-19 oppositely arranged small elliptical leaflets including a terminal larger one

Leaves: Feather-compound. Up to 15 ‘’ long, consisting of 9-19 oppositely arranged small elliptical leaflets including a terminal one. Leaflets are pale below.

Trunk/Bark: Has a short trunk covered with soft grey bark marked by longitudinal cracks.

Flower: The flowers are shaped like the typical pea-flower and have a pale-yellow mark near the base of the upper petal. small white, pink, or pale mauve flowers appear in small sprays which literally cover the greater part of the branches.

Fruit: The pods are long and flat containing several seeds; they are usually borne rather sparsely in the climate of Bengal

Seasons: In the cold season most of the leaves fall and the branches remain bare until in February the small white, pink, or pale mauve flowers appear. (these two trees flower much earlier, almost from beginning of January)

Range/Habitat: Introduced in during late British era

Trivia & Comments: In tropical America, the seeds are used as rodenticide and tree is used as shade tree for cocoa plantation.