BEnTroS
DATE:  5.Jul.97
TIME: 12:48

* G E N E R A L   D A T A *

Scient. name.....: Erythrina fusca
Family...........: Fabaceae
Plant height.....: 25
Color of flower..: RED

H a b i t u s:
Tall tree with broad crown, thorny

C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s:
Fast growing, deciduous, drytolerant tree with 
alternate leaves and three leavelets, grows on 
very poor swampy soils and tolerates waterlogging. 
The fruit are pods, the seeds have a hard, shiny 
outer layer, low moisture content and they store 
well (Germination even after several years in 
storage). They are dispersed by water and are 
therefor distributed widely along all tropical 
coasts of  the Old and New World (Like E.variegata). 
Pollinated by nectar-feeding birds, high sucrose 
and low amino-acid content in nectar. 2n=42

R a n g e   o f   u s e:
Cultivated as shade (coffee and cacao) and orn. 
trees, living fences (fenceposts), green manure. 
Flowers are eaten, seeds used as breads. Many 
medicinal uses (leaves and bark) : used as a 
laxative, diuretic, sedative etc. (alkaloids, 
lectins...). Foddertree. Wood is bland, light, 
nondurable. Propagated by natural regeneration, 
seedlings, cuttings and direct seedings. 
Average biomass production per km fence/year: 
2000-7000 kg (Costa Rica). 
Propagation: The most common method is the use 
of cuttings (incisions near base stimulate root 
growth, seeds should be soaked in water (24 h). 
Germination best in sterile sands; 2250 seeds 
per kg; seed and inoculant suppliers: 
CIAT; Cali, Colombia. CATIE; Turrialba, C.R.

L i t r a t u r e:
Powell, M. H. And Westley, S.B. 1993; 
Budowski, Gerardo 1992; Fao, M. Leloup 1957; 
Ellenberg, H. And Mueller-Dombois, D. 1967; 
Mabberley, D.J. 1990; Mansfeld, R. 1986; 
Rehm, S. And Espig, G. 1984; Willis, J.C. 1966; 
Franke, G. 1982; Cab International 1994; 
Rehm, S., Universität Göttingen 1994; 
Walter, H. 1990

B I O L O G I C A L   E N G I N E E R I N G   D A T A
Erosion control.....: 
Ground stabilisation: YES
Initial regreening..: YES
Reforestation.......: 
Hedges/windbreaks...: YES
MPTS services.......: 
Agroforestry........: YES
Other uses..........: 

* S P E C I A L   D A T A *

C O M M O N   N A M E S
Bucago
Bucare

L I F E Z O N E S
Tm
Tw

R E G I O N S  O F  D I V E R S I T Y
Central American/Mexican Region
Indochinese-Indonesian Region
South American Region

H A B I T / S I T E
degraded soils
soils with high groundwater table
waterlogged soils

L I F E S T Y L E
tree

P R O P A G A T I O N
generative and vegetative
layering
stem cuttings

U T I L I S A T I O N
cuttings
flowers
wood

B I O L O G I C A L  E N G I N E E R I N G
bank stabilization
surface soil stabilization

C O N S T R U C T I O N S
bench brush layer
cuttings sill
hedge layer construction