Fabaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Chamaecrista nictitans

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Chamaecrista nictitans is an annual, occasionally short-lived perennial plant with a more or less woody base. It can grow up to 1 metre tall[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It has been trialled as a green manure and cover crop. Chamaecrista nictitans is widespread and common in its natural range, and it is naturalized elsewhere. At present the population is believed to be stable and does not appear to be under any significant threat. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2012)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeTropical and subtropical America from Argentina north through S. America, C. America and the Caribbean to southern and eastern N. America.

HabitatOpen woods, prairies, thickets, wet or dry shores, on sandy soils, commonly in disturbed habitats[ 415 Title Tropical Forages Publication Author Website http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/index.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Mainly focussed on forage plants, the site gives a lot of information on the plant, with a good botanical description, details of cultivation, plant uses and a good selection of photographs. ]. Locally abundant as a weed along roadsides and in cultivated areas, sometimes in coconut plantations in Java[ 305 Title Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk Publication Author Website http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands. ].