Poitea gracilis

Botanical Description

Poitea gracilis is a deciduous, woody plant that has two main forms; it can be a small, intricately-branched shrub, or it can ber a small tree with a single, erect, spindly stem; it can grow from 40 - 230cm tall[ 1549 Title Biogeography and Systematics of Poitea (Leguminosae); Inferences from Morphological and Molecular Data Publication Syst. Bot. Monogr. 37:45. pp 1-87, 1993 Author Lavin M. Publisher Year 1993 ISBN Description ]. Shrubby forms often have thorny lateral branches, the plant branches so freely that it bcomes a tightly woven, impenetrable mass. Tree forms are usually few-branched[ 1549 Title Biogeography and Systematics of Poitea (Leguminosae); Inferences from Morphological and Molecular Data Publication Syst. Bot. Monogr. 37:45. pp 1-87, 1993 Author Lavin M. Publisher Year 1993 ISBN Description ]. When large enough, the plant is harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. It has potential for use in reforestation and soil stabilization projects and also has a very attractive floral display with dense clusters of flower, making it worthy of being grown as an ornamental[ 1549 Title Biogeography and Systematics of Poitea (Leguminosae); Inferences from Morphological and Molecular Data Publication Syst. Bot. Monogr. 37:45. pp 1-87, 1993 Author Lavin M. Publisher Year 1993 ISBN Description ].