''Macroptilium lathyroides'' is a species of plant in the

legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock fo ...

family ( Fabaceae) commonly known as the phasey bean. It is the type species of genus ''

Macroptilium ''Macroptilium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae The Faboideae are a subfamily of the flowering plant family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. An acceptable alternative name for the ...

''. Herbaceous annual or short-lived perennial growing up to 1 m high, it is native to the tropical and subtropical areas of Central and South America, and naturalized throughout the tropics. It is cultivated for

forage Forage is a plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten by grazing livestock. Historically, the term ''forage'' has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also us ...

or as a

green manure In agriculture, a green manure is a crop specifically produced to be incorporated into the soil while still green. Typically, the green manure's biomass is incorporated with a plow or disk, as is often done with (brown) manure. The primary goal ...

cover crop In agriculture, cover crops are plants that are planted to cover the soil rather than for the purpose of being harvested. Cover crops manage soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, biodiversity and wildlife i ...

in rotation. As it quickly spreads on disturbed soils, it is considered an environmental weed in some areas.

Description

''M. lathyroides'' is a herbaceous annual or short-lived perennial, 0.6–1 m tall. The leaves are compound with three

ovate Ovate may refer to: * Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe A hand axe (or handaxe or Acheulean hand axe) is a prehistoric stone tool with two faces that is the longest-used ...

lanceolate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regula ...

leaflets, 3–8 cm long and 1–3.5 cm wide. Red to purple flowers, with wing petals larger than the lower petals, develop on long stalks. They grow paired long pods, 5.5–12 cm long, 2.5–3 mm wide, which readily shatter when mature, containing numerous seeds dispersed by winds. Seads are obliquely oblong, about 3 mm long, mottled light and dark grey-brown or black. The plant spreads readily from seed under moist conditions.

Ecology

''M. lathyroides'' is native to much of tropical and subtropical America, from Mexico to Argentina. It is adapted to a wide range of latitudes (up to 2000 m in Ecuador), soil types from deep sands to heavy clays, and with a pH range of (5.0–) 6.0–7.0 (–8.0). It is found in areas with annual rainfall range of 750–2,000 mm. It can tolerate moderate frost and moderate salinity. Plants tend to form dense monocultures, but once established, they combine well with open grasses, particularly under fertile conditions. Especially in shade, they readily

twin Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with t ...

with each other or other plants, reaching up to 1.5 m. ''M. lathyroides'' is widely naturalized across the tropical areas of the world, cultivated for

or as a

in rotation. It is regarded as a good

pioneer species Pioneer species are hardy species that are the first to colonize barren environments or previously biodiverse steady-state ecosystems that have been disrupted, such as by wildfire. Pioneer flora Some lichens grow on rocks without soil, ...

since it spreads easily without competition and exhibits good early growth. In some areas it is considered a minor weed of rice. In

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

and the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Au ...

in Australia it is regarded as an environmental weed.

Gallery

file:Wild Bushbean (4905521794).jpg, Flower file:Macroptilium lathyroides leaf12 (10356734894).jpg, Leaf file:Macroptilium lathyroides pod3 (10356580546).jpg, Pods Macroptilium lathyroides habit6 (10356714375).jpg, Roadside colony

Description

Ecology

Gallery

References

See also