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| Common Name: |
Pongamia |
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| Family: |
Fabaceae |
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| Form and Size: |
A dense, spreading tree 5 - 10m high, deciduous. |
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| Distribution: |
Across northern tropical Australia, usually along watercourses or
in seasonally wet areas but is also found in monsoon forests and vine
thickets. |
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| Leaves: |
Pinnate, to 25cm long, 2 - 3 pairs of egg-shaped leaflets and a
terminal leaflet. Dark green, glossy, thin textured, pointed tip.
4.5 - 15cm x 3.7 - 9cm, increasing in size from the inner to the terminal
leaflet. The flush of new growth after the deciduous period is a delicate
golden bronze colour. |
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| Bark: |
Creamy brown, smooth. |
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| Flowers: |
Pea Flowers, pinkish white to lilac about 1cm long, borne on axillary
racemes 8 - 12cm long. |
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| Flowering Period: |
August to February. |
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| Fruit: |
Pods, woody, oblong. flat and smooth. Light brown in colour and
4 - 6cm x 1.5 - 3cm containing 1 - 2 red-brown seeds. |
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| Cultivation/Notes: |
Propagate from scarified fresh seed. A fast growing tree ideal for
stream banks or coastal stabilisation. Appreciates regular moisture.
All parts of the plant are thought to carry a toxin which causes vomiting. |
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