Stylosanthes seabrana Maass & 't Mannetje
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Stylosanthes seabrana Maass & 't Mannetje
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Leguminosae Synonyms Stylosanthes aff. scabra |
Author: L.'t Mannetje |
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Caatinga stylo Origin and geographic distribution Caatinga stylo originates from Bahia, Brazil, between 9-13 °S and 40-46 °W. It has been introduced to other tropical countries, and has been widely sown in northern Australia (Edye and Maass 1997). Perennial, woody at base. Stems pilose on one side, except at base, viscid bristles (> 1 mm) near the nodes. Stipules pilose, very bristly, long lateral bristles present on stipule teeth, but rarely with a terminal bristle, if so very short. Leaflets lanceolate to elliptic acute, upper surface glabrous, lower surface glabrescent, except for long often viscid bristles on the midrib below and on the margins, veins raised, prominent below, whitish. Spikes capitate, small. Outer bract trifoliate, bristly, pilose on the margin, 3 pairs of veins. Axis rudiment as long as half the upper articulation (7-8 mm long), pilose; two inner bracteoles. Loment with 2 articulations; the upper articulation appressed pilose to woolly, sometimes glabrous or slightly hairy on the inside of the beak (dried-up style) with a clear central vein and weak lateral veins. Beak uncinate, pilose to woolly, half the length of the upper articulation (c. 2-3 mm from base to top of the bend). The lower articulation densely pilose. Seed cream-coloured. Chromosome number 2n = 20. Caatinga stylo is a hardy, drought, frost and anthracnose tolerant perennial pasture legume. Two cultivars have been released in Australia in 1996: Unica for more tropical and Primar for subtropical regions of central and northern Queensland, where S. scabra and S. hamata cv Verano have not been successful (Edye et al. 1998). Properties For cv. Unica leaf analyses showed N% of 3.61 and P% 0.22 (Jones et al. 2000). Toxicity None reported Ecology Caatinga stylo is adapted to altitudes of 400-1050 m in regions with 400-1190 mm annual rainfall and a 2-7 month dry season. It withstands night frosts of up to -8 °C and tolerates droughts. Soil requirements Caatinga stylo is adapted to a wide range of soil types, particularly heavy clays. Propagation and planting The small seeds should be planted at about 3 kg/ha (dehulled), not deeper than 10 mm. Rhizobial requirements Caatinga stylo has a highly specific requirement for Bradyrhizobium strains (Date et al., 1996). Diseases and pests Caatinga stylo is anthracnose resistant (Jansen and Edye 1996). Performance Mean annual dry matter yields of some accessions of Caatinga stylo were higher than those of S. scabra, reaching about 3250 kg/ha (Edye et al. 1998). It is early flowering and seeds prolifically (Edye and Maass 1997, Edye et al. 1998). Links
Links for the genus
Date R.A. et al. (1996); Edye L.A. et al. (1998); Edye L.A. and Maass B.L. (1997); JansenP.I. and Edye L.A. (1996); Jones R.M. et al. (2000) |