Leucaena leucocephala

Leucaena leucocephala is a thornless, small-sized and deciduous tree growing up to 10-12 m high.

The bark of Leucaena leucocephala is grey and brownish-coloured and rough (warty).

The leaves of Leucaena leucocephala grow alternately on the stem (spirally arranged).
The leaf is compound, biparipinnate with numerous pairs of small leaflets.
The leaflets are dark green-coloured above and paler beneath. The leaflet is chartaceous and glabrous on both sides.
The leaflets are subsessile.
The leaflet of Leucaena leucocephala is 1.5 cm long and 0.5 cm wide. The shape of the blade is oblong, the apex is obtuse or shorty acuminate, the base is obliquely rounded and the margins are entire.
The venation of the leaflets is pinnate.

The flowers of Leucaena leucocephala are grouped in compact globose heads with 2-2.5 cm long peduncles.
The calyx-tube is campanulate, 5-lobed, 2.5 mm long and 1 mm across. The calyx is white and light green-coloured.
The corolla is composed of 5 cream-coloured and glabrous petals. The petals are linear-oblong, 4 mm long and 0.5 mm wide.
The androecium is composed of 10 stamens. The filaments are 5 mm long.
The style is 6 mm long with a simple stigma at the tip.
The flowers are fragrant.
 

The fruit of Leucaena leucocephala is a flat and oblong pod with a 1.5-2 cm long peduncle. The fruit is 15-25 cm long and 2-2.5 cm wide, brown-coloured when ripe. Each pod contains about 30 seeds.

The seeds of Leucaena leucocephala are ovate, 8 mm long and 5 mm wide. They are glossy and brown-coloured. There are about 30 seeds per pod.

The leaves of Leucaena leucocephala are used as a green manure.

The pod of Leucaena leucocephala provides an excellent source of high-protein cattle fodder.

The young pods of Leucaena leucocephala are edible and occasionally eaten as a vegetable.