EXPLORATION AND SEED COLLECTION OF MULTIPLE PURPOSE DRY ZONE TREES IN CENTRAL AMERICA

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Abstract
The need for adequate supplies of correctly named, site-identified seed of trees grown for non-industrial purposes, e.g. fuelwood, fodder, shade, fences etc., in the dry zones of the tropics is now generally realised. This paper describes a programme at the Commonwealth Forestry Institute to collect the seed of non-industrial woody species native to Central America and neighbouring regions of South America. The seed of 25 species, of which 21 belong to the Leguminosae (some little-known botanically) has already been collected. The species include: Acacia deamii, A. farnesiana, A. pennatula, Albizia guachepele, Apoplanesia paniculata, Ateleia herbert-smithii, Caesalpinia coriaria, C. eriostachys, C. velutina, Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Gliricidia sepium, Haematoxylon brasiletto, Leucaena diversifolia, L. leucocephala, L. shannoni, Mimosa tenuiflora, Myrospermum frutescens, Parkinso- nia aculeata, Pithecellobium dulce, Prosopis juliflora, Senna atomaria, and (non-Leguminosae) Alvaradoa amorphoides, Crescentia alata, Guazuma ulmifolia, and Simarouba glauca. The characteristics, properties and distributions of the parent trees are described in detail for each of the above species. Methods of seed collection and extraction are discussed, together with problems of seed pre-treatment, weediness and genertic conservation.