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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@intrex.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] BEN # 124 Genera of the Nitrogen Fixing Trees
  • Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2008 18:59:34 -0500

From aceska@cue.bc.caSat Jan 13 18:30:34 1996
Date: Sat, 13 Jan 1996 08:09:57 -0800
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
To: ben@cue.bc.ca
Subject: BEN # 124


BBBBB EEEEEE NN N ISSN 1188-603X
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No. 124 January 13, 1996

aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca Victoria, B.C.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
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GENERA OF THE NITROGEN FIXING TREES
From: James Brewbaker <brewbake@hawaii.edu>
[based on Brewbaker et al. 1990 - see References]

A summary table is provided of trees and large shrubs (> 3 m
high) that were validated as nodulating, and known or presumed
to fix nitrogen. The summary is derived from NFTA's expanded
database that includes about 1500 taxa. Only one family that
includes nodulating plants, the Datiscaceae, does not appear in
this table, as the genus Datisca lacks arboreal or woody forms.

Most of the 115 genera of N-fixing trees and shrubs (NFT) are
legumes. As calculated by de Faria et. al. (1989) nodulation
characterized 23% of 349 tested caesalpinioid species, 90% of
454 tested mimosoids and 97% of the 2592 papilionids.

Nodulation involves symbiosis with rhizobial bacteria in the
legume and in the genus Parasponia (and possibly other taxa in
the Ulmaceae). All other non-leguminous genera are nodulated by
actinomycetes of the genus Frankia.

LIST OF GENERA OF NITROGEN FIXING TREES

BETULACEAE: Alnus (38/38)

CASUARINACEAE: Allocasuarina (11/20), Casuarina (8/45),
Gymnostoma (1/2)

CORIARIACEAE: Coriaria (16/16)

ELEAGNACEAE: Elaeagnus (10/45), Hippophae (1/3), Shepherdia
(2/3)

LEGUMINOSAE:
CAESALPINIOIDEAE [nodulation found in 23% of tested species -
all "positive" genera listed here]: Brownea (1/30), Chamaecrista
(2/250), Colvillea (1/1), Cordeauxia (1/2), Dialium (1/40),
Dicymbe (2/13), Dimorphandra (2/25), Epurea (1/14),
Erythrophleum (2/9), Gossweilerodendron (1/2), Hardwickia (1/1),
Lysidice (1/1), Maniltoa (1/20), Sclerolobium (3/35), Tachigali
(2/24)
MIMOSOIDEAE [nodulation found in 90% of tested species, only
the larger genera listed]: Acacia (193/1200), Albizia (30/150),
Calliandra (11/200), Inga (14/350), Mimosa (3/400), Newtonia
(1/11), Parapiptadenia (1/3), Paraserianthes (1,5), Prosopis
(15/44), etc.
PAPILIONOIDEAE: [nodulation found in 97% of tested species,
only the larger genera listed]: Aeshynomene (2/150), Caragana
(4/80), Chamaecytisus (1/30), Clitoria (1/70), Dalbergia
(17/100), Desmodium (including Codariocalyx and Ougeinia)
(4/300), Erythrina (26/108), Indigofera (1/700), Laburnum (4/2-
6), Lonchocarpus (8/150), Robinia (3/4), Sophora (7,50),
Swartzia (8/135), Tephrosia (1/400), Wisteria (4/6), etc.

MYRICACEAE: Comptonia (1/1), Myrica (13/35)

RHAMNACEAE: Ceanothus (14/55)

ROSACEAE: Cercocarpus (4/20), Purshia (1/2)

ULMACEAE: Aphananthe (1/5), Celtis (2/80), Parasponia (3/6),
Trema (2/30)

Note: First number is the number of species validated as NFT's;
second is number of species in the genus.

References:

Brewbaker, J.L., K.B. Willers, & W. Macklin. 1990. Nitrogen
fixing trees; Validation and prioritization. "Proceedings of
IUFRO Congress," Montreal, Canada. Publ. by IUFRO, Vienna,
Vol. 2: 335-349. (Reprinted in Nitrogen Fixing Tree Research
Reports 8: 8-16. 1990.)

de Faria, S.M., G.P. Lewis, J.I. Sprent, & J.M. Sutherland.
1989. Occurrence of nodulation in the Leguminosae. New
Phytol. 111: 607-619.




  • [permaculture] BEN # 124 Genera of the Nitrogen Fixing Trees, Lawrence F. London, Jr., 01/13/2008

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