''Stylosanthes guianensis'', the stylo, is a species of flowering plant in the family

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

. It is native to the New World Tropics and Subtropics, and has been introduced to Puerto Rico, the

Windward Islands The Windward Islands are the southern, generally larger islands of the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean islands or the West Indies. Located approximately between latitudes 10° and 16° N and longitudes 60° and 62° W, they extend from D ...

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, most of SubSaharan Africa, Madagascar,

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, the Indian Subcontinent, Sri Lanka, Thailand, southeast China,

Hainan Hainan is an island provinces of China, province and the southernmost province of China. It consists of the eponymous Hainan Island and various smaller islands in the South China Sea under the province's administration. The name literally mean ...

, Taiwan, New Guinea, Queensland,

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, and the

Cook Islands The Cook Islands is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands whose total land area is approximately . The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers of ocean. Avarua is its ...

. An important forage and fodder species, its palatability to livestock increases as the plant matures, making it an unusual, and valuable, deferred feed. It has high genetic diversity between and among its named varieties.

Subtaxa

The following subtaxa are accepted: *''Stylosanthes guianensis'' subsp. ''dissitiflora'' (B.L.Rob. & Seaton) Mohlenbr. – Mexico, Honduras *''Stylosanthes guianensis'' var. ''gracilis'' (Kunth) Vogel – Guatemala to Argentina, and a few introductions in Africa *''Stylosanthes guianensis'' subsp. ''guianensis'' – Entire range, also the most introduced subtaxon *''Stylosanthes guianensis'' var. ''pauciflora'' M.B.Ferreira & Sousa Costa – Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil

References

guianensis Fodder Forages Flora of Mexico Flora of Central America Flora of northern South America Flora of western South America Flora of Brazil Flora of Northeast Argentina Flora of Northwest Argentina Flora of Paraguay Flora of Uruguay Plants described in 1789 {{Dalbergieae-stub