Latin name

Aeschynomene aspera L.

Family

Fabaceae (Leguminoseae)

Common name(s)

Sola pith plant

Synonym(s)

A. aquatica Roxb. ex Steud., A. indica var. aspera Hassk. ex Miq.; A. lagenaria Lour.; Hedysarum lagenarium Roxb.

Geographical distribution

South and Southeast Asia: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Morphology

An erect or ascending annual herb.

Stem: sparingly branched, without hairs, often woody at the base, and 100—200—cm—tall.

Leaf: with 30—55 pinnately arranged leaflets; leaflet 5—21—mm—long, without hair on both sides.

Inflorescence: a 2—6—flowered raceme; both the standard and brown keel are densely hairy.

Fruit: hairless pod, 30—90—mm—long, 7—9—mm—wide, with 2—9 joints.

Biology and ecology

Common in swampy and open localities.

Agricultural importance

In India, this plant is considered as a promising green manure plant in rice cultivation but may need further plant improvement.

Management

No specific reports available on control of this weed.

Selected references

Backer CA, Van Den Brink RCB. 1963. Flora of Java (Spermatophytes only). Groningen (Netherlands): NVP Noordhoff. Vol. 1. 648 p.

Holm L, Pancho JV, Herberger JP, Plucknett DL. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds. New York (USA): John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 391 p.

Moody K. 1989. Weeds reported in rice in South and Southeast Asia. Manila (Philippines): International Rice Reseach Institute. 442 p.

Rao NSS, Gaur YD, Murthy A. 1991. Biology of root and stem nodules of Aeschynomene aspera and A. indica, potential green manure plants. In: Dutta SK, Sloger C, editors. Biological nitrogen fixation associated with rice production. New Delhi (India): Mohan Primlani for Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. 448 p.

Taxonomic Serial No. 506361. Aeschynomene aspera L. www.itis.usda.gov.

Contributors

JLA Catindig, RT Lubigan, and DE Johnson