Fabaceae FAMILY

Macroptilium lathyroides

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Macroptilium lathyroides is an annual to short-lived perennial plant growing up to 150cm tall. The habit can range from erectly branching to sometimes trailing and, especially in the shade, sometimes twining into other plants[ 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. ]. The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It can be grown as a green manure and cover crop.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeWidespread in the American tropics from Argentina north through S. America (but not Brazil) and C. America to Mexico; Caribbean

HabitatWet places along roadsides, on waste land, in open fields, pastures, in open situations along streams and rivers[ 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. ]. Open fields or slopes, in wet or dry places, often a weed about dwellings in tropical lowlands[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ].