Fabaceae FAMILY

Poecilanthe ulei

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitSemi-deciduous Tree

GrowthFast

A plant of the 'Caatinga' dry forest region of northeast Brazil. The climate is hot and dry, there are usually 6 to 11 months without rain each year. The mean annual rainfall varies from 250 - 1,000mm, and the mean annual temperature is from 24 - 26°c. Requires a sunny position^[1]. Prefers a fertile, well-drained soil^[1]. Established plants are drought tolerant^[1]. Young plants have a fast rate of growth^[1]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby^[2].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate of more than 60 % can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 7 - 14 days^[1]. Like many species within the family Fabaceae, once they have been dried for storage the seeds of this species may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing^[PFAF]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Poecilanthe+ulei>

Pollinators

Insects

References

[1]Brazilian Trees. Volume 3. — Lorenzi. H. · Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil. · 2009 · ISBN 85-86714-34-4 ↩︎Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
[2]Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy — United States Department of Agriculture · http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en ↩︎An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
[3]A Synopsis of the Genus Poecilanthe (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae, Brongniartieae) — Meireles J.E. & Tozzi A.M.G.de Azevedo · 2007 · ISBN 0370-6583 ↩︎
[PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎