Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

91. Bgculo, agati
LEGUME FAMILY (LEGUMINOSAE)
PEA SUBFAMILY (LOTOIDEAE; FABACEAE)
Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Per&*
An introduced ornamental, spreading from cultivation,
this tree is distinguished by: (1) alternate,
even pinnate leaves \!-it11 10-30 pairs of oblong
leaflets %-11/2 inches long and x-1, inch
wide, rounded at both ends, and very shortstalked;
(2) giant white or bright red, flattened,
pea-shaped flowers 2?/23 inches long, 2-5 hanging
in a stalked cluster at bnse of n leaf; and (3) light
brown pods 12-18 inches long and only 3/16 inch
wide, flattened but slightly 4-angled, long-pointed
at both ends, and stalked at base.
Rapidly growing, short-lived, deciduo~is small
tree attaining 16-25 feet in height and 6-12 inches
in triink diameter, wit11 thin cron-11 of fenr
branches. The gray bark is 1/2 inch or more in
thickness, rough, and furrowed into thick plates. Planted as an ornamental in gardens and escap-
Inner bark is pink and slightly bitter. The young ing from ~ult~ivation in roadsides and thickets and
twigs are finely hairy.
perhaps naturalized locally in Puerto Rico,
T~aves are 6-14 inches long, wit11 finely hairy Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John.
axes enlarged at base. The leaflets have very short Ra~~~.-Native from India to East Indies,
hairy stalks less than 1/1? inch long and thin blades Philippines, and northern Australia. Widely
with apex round or m~nutely notched \\.it11 very though sparingly distributed by cultivation and
tiny point, wit11 base rounded but slightly unequaloccasionally
spontaneous or naturalized in southern
Florida, througll most of the West Indies from
sided, pale green, and nearly hairless except when Bahamas and Cuba to St. Vincent and Trinidad,
young.
and from sonthern Mexico through most countries
Flower clusters (racemes) shorter than the of Central America to South America.
leaves have 2-5 flowers wit11 unpleasant odor, com- OTTIER CoimroN ~~nfm.-gallito, cresta de pllo,
monly white but red in one variety, which is illus- agati (Puerto Rico) ; jack-in-the-beanstalk (Virtrated.
The bud is some\~hat, curved. The large gin Islands) ; gallito (Dominican Republic) ;
bell-shaped ~hitish calyx is nearly 1 inch long, cresta de gallo, gallito blanw, gallito colorado,
slightly 2-lobed \vi th 5 shallo~v teeth ; the corolltl zapat6n blanco, zapatdn rojo, paloma (Cuba) ;
of 6 white or red fleshy pet,als 21/24 inches long, pico de flamenco (Mexico) ; choncho (El Salvastalked
at bnse, the oblong spreacling standard dor) ; cobreque (Nicaragua) ; gallito (Venezueshorter
than the others and curved back, 2 curved la) ; agati, agati sesbania, Australian corknwodwings,
and 2 united curved keel petals; 10 curved
tree (United States) ; agati,. flarnin o-bill (Bahamas)
; pois vallier (Haiti) ; coli % ri vhetal,
stamens, 9 united into a tube and 1 separate; and papillon, fleur-papillon (Guadeloupe) ; tlgerpistil
of stalked very narrow ovary and slender tonguo (Dutch West Indies).
style. The pods hang down and split open to re- BOTANICAI, s~~o~~~.-Agati grandiflora (L.)
lease many elliptic brown seeds 3/16 inch long. Desv.
Flowering and fruiting throughout the year. This genus is represented also by 3 native
The wood is whitish, soft, and lightweight. It species of shrubs. The generic name formerly was
is weak and seldom used.
spelled also Sesban.
111 Inclia and elsewhere in southern Asia uses
have been found for other parts of the tree. The
flowers, tender green pods, and young leaves are
eaten, sucll as in salads, curries, soups, and fried.
Leaves and young slloots are fed to cattle also.
The bark yields 21 fiber, and gum with red and
yellow coloring principles has been obtained from
tho pinkish white sap exuding from the cut trunk.
Extracts of leaves and flowers and of the bark
have been employed medicinally.
The name bBculo (walking-stick perhaps was
suggested by the odd, very long an d narrow pods.
Ot.ller names, gallito and cresta de gallo (cocks-
comb), are descriptive of the shape and color of
the flowers in the red-flowered variation. Flower-
ing when sinall and only 2 years old.