Note on flowering and seed production in a young Gliricidia sepium seed orchard

Abstract

A study of seed production in the tropical leguminous tree Gliricidia sepium was conducted at Ibadan. Nigeria. Twenty Gliricidia trees, though established vegetatively and managed uniformly, showed a wide range of variation in flowering, fruiting and seed production characteristics after 11/2 years. Six trees produced little or no seed. All non-seeders flowered relatively late and five out of six produced fewer than average racemes. Total branch weight of non-seed producing trees was not different from the overall sample. The orchard produced, on average, 37 kg seed ha -1.