LEGUME FAMILY (LEGUMINOSAE) 



PEA SUBFAMILY (LOTOIDEAE; FABACEAE) 



91. Baculo, agati 



An introduced ornamental, spreading from cul- 

 tivation, this tree is distinguished by: (1) alter- 

 nate, even pinnate leaves with 10-30 pairs of ob- 

 long leaflets 34-IV2 inches long and V4-V2 inch 

 wide, rounded at both ends, and very short- 

 stalked; (2) giant white or bright red, flattened, 

 pea-shaped flowers 21/2-4 inches long, 2-5 hanging 

 in a stalked cluster at base of a leaf; and (3) light 

 brown pods 12-18 inches long and only %6 inch 

 wide, flattened but slightly i-angled, long-pointed 

 at both ends, and stalked at base. 



Eapidly growing, short-lived, deciduous small 

 tree attaining 15-25 feet in height and 6-12 inches 

 in trunk diameter, with thin crown of few 

 branches. The gray bark is 1/2 inch or more in 

 thickness, rougli, and furrowed into thick plates. 

 Inner bark is pink and slightly bitter. The young 

 twigs are finely hairy. 



Tjeaves are 6-14 inches long, with finely hairy 

 axes enlarged at base. Tlie leaflets have very short 

 hairy stalks less than i/k; inch long and thin blades 

 with apex round or minutely notched with very 

 tiny point, with base romided but slightly unequal- 

 sided, pale green, and nearly hairless except when 

 young. 



Flower clusters (racemes) shorter than the 

 leaves have 2-5 flowers with unpleasant odor, com- 

 nionly white but red in one variety, which is illus- 

 trated. The bud is somewhat curved. The large 

 bell-shaped whitish calyx is nearly 1 inch long, 

 slightly 2-lobed with 5 shallow teeth; the corolla 

 of white or red fleshy petals 214^ inches long, 

 stalked at base, the oblong spreading standard 

 sliorter than tlie others and curved back. 2 curved 

 M-ings, and 2 united curved keel petals; 10 curved 

 stamens, 9 united into a tube and 1 separate ; and 

 pistil of stalked very narrow ovary and slender 

 style. The pods hang down and split open to re- 

 lease many elliptic brown seeds %6 inch long. 

 Flowering and fruiting throughout the year. 



The wood is whitish, soft, and lightweight. It 

 is weak and seldom used. 



Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers,* 



In India and elsewhere in southern Asia uses 

 have lieen found for other parts of the tree. The 

 flowers, tender green pods, and young leaves are 

 eaten, such as in salads, curries, soups, and fried. 

 Leaves and young shoots are fed to cattle also. 

 The bark yields a fiber, and gum with red and 

 yellow coloring principles has been obtained from 

 tlie pinkish white sap exuding from the cut trunk. 

 Extracts of leaves and flowers and of the bark 

 have been employed medicinally. 



Tlie name baculo (walking-stick) perhaps was 

 suggested by the odd, very long and narrow pods. 

 Other names, gallito and cresta de gallo (cocks- 

 comb), are descriptive of the shape and color of 

 the flowers in the red-flowered variation. Flower- 

 ing when small and only 2 years old. 



Planted as an ornamental in gardens and escap- 

 ing from cultivation in roadsides and thickets and 

 perhaps naturalized locally in Puerto Rico, 

 Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. 



Ranc.k. — Native from India to Ea,st Indies, 

 Philii)pines, and northern Australia. Widely 

 though sparingly distributed by cultivation and 

 occasionally si>ontaneous or naturalized in south- 

 ern Florida, through most of the West Indies from 

 Bahamas and Cuba to St. Vincent and Trinidad, 

 and from southern Mexico through most countries 

 of Central America to South America. 



Ottier common names. — gallito, cresta de gallo, 

 agati (Puerto Rico) ; jack-in-the-beanstalk (Vir- 

 gin Islands) ; gallito (Dominican Republic) ; 

 cresta de gallo, gallito bianco, gallito Colorado, 

 zapaton bianco, zapaton rojo, paloma (Cuba) ; 

 pico de flamenco (Mexico) ; choncho (El Salva- 

 dor) ; cobreque (Nicaragua) ; gallito (Venezue- 

 la) ; agati, agati sesbania, Australian corkwood- 

 tree (United States) ; agati, flamingo-bill (Ba- 

 hamas) ; pois vallier (Haiti) ; colibri vegetal, 

 papillon, fleur-papillon (Guadeloupe) ; tiger- 

 tongue (Dutch West Indies). 



Botanical synonym. — Agati grandif.ora (L.) 

 Desv. 



This genus is represented also by 3 native 

 species of shrubs. The generic name formerly was 

 spelled also Seshan. 



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