|
Leguminosae
Synonyms
Hedysarum rugosum Willd.
Description
Upright legume growing from 30 to 60 cm, subglabrous. Leaves
2.5 to 7.5 cm long, oblong, two to three times as long as broad. Racemes
dense, 2.5 to 10 cm long, pedicels 0.2 to 0.3 cm; flowers adpressed to
subglabrous rachis. Pod three- to five-jointed, glabrous, 0.2 cm broad;
joints rather broader than long, marked with close prominent transverse
ribs (Hooker, 1879).
Distribution
In India, up to 1400 m in the foothills of the Himalayas; Sri
Lanka, Burma, West Indies and elsewhere in the tropics.
Characteristics
Leafy, palatable, fairly persistent and moderately productive
in Zambia. Grown satisfactorily on cultivated land but not yet grown in
association with grass pastures (van Rensburg, 1967). Produced 5 775 kg.
DM/ ha/year 1 over two years' trials in Zambia from two cuttings per year.
Average protein content of dry matter 15.86 percent, giving an average
protein yield per hectare of 780 kg.; 42.26 percent of the total dry matter
was consumed by grazing. Stem comprised 61 percent of the dry matter, containing
8.50 percent crude protein; leaf contributed 1 367 kg. dry matter/ha of
dry matter of 17 percent protein content.
Analysis of plant
16.4 percent crude protein; 33.8 percent crude fibre; 1.4 percent
fat; 6.7 percent ash; 41.7 percent nitrogen-free extract with 0.82 percent
calcium, 0.19 percent phosphorus, 2.04 percent potash, 0.13 percent chlorine
and 0.03 percent sodium in the dry matter (Verboom, 1965).
|
