Chamaecytisus Palmensis: Fabaceae - Papilionoideae F.A. Bisbay & K.W. Nicholls

Chamaecytisus palmensis F.A. Bisbay & K.W.
Nicholls
Fabaceae - Papilionoideae
LOCAL NAMES
English (tree lucerne); Spanish (tagasaste)
BOTANIC DESCRIPTION
Chamaecytisus palmensis is an attractive, evergreen shrub or small tree
with long, drooping branches, when managed as a single-stemmed tree it
reaches heights of 7-8 m, but its common growth form is a multi-stemmed,
spreading shrub of 5-7 m.
Leaves are on short petioles, leaflets lanceolate, glabrous above, foliage (Western weeds)
pubescent below.
Flowers white, in umbels mostly at the end of short branchlets, fragrant,

pea-like, produced in profuse masses; calyx tubular, pubescent, 10-12mm
long; standard about twice as long.
Fruit a pod, 4-5 cm long, 12 mm broad, pubescent, black when ripe.
Seeds black, 8-12 per pod.
BIOLOGY Cattle grazing Chamaecytisus palmensis in

In southern Australia, flowers appear in early spring (July-September) and southwestern Western Australian (Shelton
H.M.)
pods ripen in November-December.
Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al.2009) Page 1 of 5

Chamaecytisus palmensis F.A. Bisbay & K.W. Nicholls
ECOLOGY
In its original environment, tagasaste was restricted to the slopes of the volcanic mountain which dominates the small
island of La Palma, where the climate is extremely arid. C. palmensis is adapted to temperate regions with winter rains,
prolonged dry summers and annual rainfall ranging from 350-1 600 mm. The shrubs tolerate a wide range of
temperatures. In New South Wales, it tolerates annual frosts down to –15 deg C. It is found from sea level to elevations
of 1 000 m and reportedly survives at 3 000 m in Ethiopia.
BIOPHYSICAL LIMITS
Altitude: 0-1 000 m
Mean annual rainfall: 350-1 600 mm
Soil type: C. palmensis establishes most easily on sandy soils, but tolerates a wide range of soil types including gravels,
loams, acid laterites and limestones. The shrub tolerates a pH range of 5-7 but requires free draining soils.
DOCUMENTED SPECIES DISTRIBUTION

Native: Spain
Exotic: Australia, Ethiopia, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Africa
Native range
Exotic range
The map above shows countries where the species has been planted. It does neither
suggest that the species can be planted in every ecological zone within that country,
nor that the species can not be planted in other countries than those depicted. Since
some tree species are invasive, you need to follow biosafety procedures that apply to
your planting site.

The map above shows countries where the species has been planted. It does neither
suggest that the species can be planted in every ecological zone within that country,
nor that the species can not be planted in other countries than those depicted. Since
Chamaecytisus palmensis
some tree
F.A. Bisbay & K.W. Nicholls
species are invasive, you need to follow biosafety procedures that apply to
your planting site. Fabaceae - Papilionoideae
PRODUCTS
Fodder: The foliage contains 17-22% crude protein. The leaves and fine stems of fresh regrowth may contain 25-29%
crude protein (dry matter) and only 16-19% crude fiber. The foliage is free from toxic substances. Leaves have high in-
vitro dry-matter digestibility (0.77-0.82).
Apiculture: The fragrant flowers are a source of bee forage.
Fuel: When allowed to grow, thick branches provide fuelwood that burns with intense heat.
SERVICES
Erosion control: The tree lucerne helps control soil erosion.
Shade or shelter: The shrubs provide shelter for livestock and crops, and act as fire breaks.
Reclamation: Tagasaste helps control salinization and reclaim wastelands.
Nitrogen fixing: It increases soil fertility through nitrogen fixation.
Ornamental: The shrubs have no thorns and produce profuse masses of fragrant white pea-like flowers, making them
attractive ornamental plants.
Boundary or barrier or support: Tagasaste forms dense hedges if planted closely.
Intercropping: Interplanted crops grow well because the shrubs provide protection from cold and drying winds.

TREE MANAGEMENT
Seedlings are remarkably drought resistant and can survive 6 months of hot weather without rain or irrigation. Animal-
proof fences are essential for the first 2-3 years to protect young seedlings from browsing. In regions with annual winter
rains of 600-1 000 mm, established shrubs planted in rows 5 m apart could produce 15-20 kg of edible dry matter/plant
when harvested once a year. In-row spacing can vary from 25 cm to 2 m. At a planting density of 1 000 trees/ha,
annual yields of 15-20 t/ha can be expected. Under current systems of dryland farming in Western Australia,
plantations produce 10 t/ha of edible dry matter from a single annual grazing or cutting. When 10 months old the
shrubs should be cut or grazed to encourage formation of bushes with multiple stems. Even when grazing is severe,
vigorous leaders remain. It is essential to lop these annually. In Western Australia, super-phosphate and potash (3:2)
should be applied annually at a rate of 200 kg/ha. Application of micronutrients, such as calcium may also be
necessary.
GERMPLASM MANAGEMENT
There are 35 000-40 000 seeds/kg. Seed storage behavior is orthodox. Long-term storage under IPGRI but preferred
conditions at RBG Kew, have been undertaken. Viability is maintained for 11 years. The small black seeds are
extremely hard and must be scarified or treated with boiling water for 1 minute to ensure quick germination. Seeds
germinate within 7-14 days.
PESTS AND DISEASES

Slugs, cutworms and grasshoppers eat emerging seedlings, but application of insecticide at seeding appears to give
adequate protection. Rabbits and hares eat seedlings. Lepidosaphes ulmi, Aphis cytisorum, A. craccivora, Frankliniella
occidentalis, Phyllonorycter cytisifoliae and P. cytisella cause heavy damage.

FURTHER READNG
Borens FMP and Poppi DP. 1990. The nutritive value for ruminants of [foliage of] tagasaste (Chamaecytisus palmensis),
a leguminous tree. Animal Feed Science and Technology. 28(3-4): 275-292.
Hong TD, Linington S, Ellis RH. 1996. Seed storage behaviour: a compendium. Handbooks for Genebanks: No. 4.
IPGRI.
Milthorpe PL and Dann PR. 1991. Production from tagasaste (Chamaecytisus palmensis) at four contrasting sites in
New South Wales. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture. 31(5): 639-644.
NFTA. 1993. Chamaecytisus palmensis: hardy, productive fodder shrub. NFTA 93-03. Waimanalo.
Snook LC. 1986. Tagasaste (tree lucerne), high production fodder crop. Night Owl Publishers, Australia.
SUGGESTED CITATION
Orwa C, A Mutua, Kindt R , Jamnadass R, S Anthony. 2009 Agroforestree Database:a tree reference and selection guide
version 4.0 (http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sites/treedbs/treedatabases.asp)

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Chamaecytisus palmensis F.A. Bisbay & K.W.

Flowers white, in umbels mostly at the end of short branchlets, fragrant,

Fruit a pod, 4-5 cm long, 12 mm broad, pubescent, black when ripe.

Seeds black, 8-12 per pod.

BIOLOGY Cattle grazing Chamaecytisus palmensis in

Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al.2009) Page 1 of 5

DOCUMENTED SPECIES DISTRIBUTION

Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al.2009) Page 2 of 5

Apiculture: The fragrant flowers are a source of bee forage.

Reclamation: Tagasaste helps control salinization and reclaim wastelands.

Nitrogen fixing: It increases soil fertility through nitrogen fixation.

Boundary or barrier or support: Tagasaste forms dense hedges if planted closely.

Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al.2009) Page 3 of 5

PESTS AND DISEASES

Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al.2009) Page 4 of 5

Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al.2009) Page 5 of 5

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