Chamaecytisus proliferus (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)
| Chamaecytisus proliferus (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007) |
Chamaecytisus proliferus (Cytisus palmensis, Cytisus proliferus, Chamaecytisus palmensis) Fabaceae Canary Islands
Common names
- English: Tagasaste, Tree lucerne
- Amargna: Tree lucern
Ecology
Widely planted in the Mediterranean area and Australia as a browse and forage shrub. Also grown in USA, Latin America, India and some other African countries. Recorded as invasive in Australia. Introduced to Ethiopia in the 1980s. It is growing well in moist and dry highlands and could be successful in Moist and Wet Weyna Dega and Dega agroclimatic zones, 1,700–3,300 m. It grows best in highrainfall cool highlands.
Uses
Firewood, fodder (leaves, pods), bee forage, mulch, nitrogen fixation, soil conservation, soil improvement, windbreak, live fence.
Description
An evergreen shrub or small tree to about 6 m.
- LEAVES: Compound with 3 stalked leaflets, the central largest to 7 cm, narrow and oblong to a pointed tip, narrowed to the base, stalk to 2 cm long.
- FLOWERS: White.
- FRUIT: Hairy pods to 5 cm long containing 8–10 small black seeds.
Propagation
Seedlings.
Seed
About 45,000 seed per kg.
- Treatment: Inoculate the seed with cowpea inoculums. Immerse the seed in hot water for a minute.
- Storage: Seeds can be stored for 4–5 years.
Management
Plant seedlings when two months old. Harvest fodder frequently by pruning to encourage low, bushy and readily accessible re-growth and to reduce the amount of woody stems.
Remarks
Tolerates drought, repeated browsing or harvesting once established. The leaves are excellent fodder with a high food value. Small birds are fond of the seeds. Relatively free of pests and diseases, this species needs to be protected from grazers at first. Growth is slow until the deep roots are established.
