#31 PLANTS FOR USE

IN PERMACULTURE IN THE TROPICS

By Franklin W. Martin

C O N T E N T S Introduction 1 The Uses of Plants & Priority of Use 1 Plants as Sources of Food 2 Food Crops of the Tropics for Permaculture

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Cereal Grains 4 Legumes 4 Root Crops 4 Fruit Vegetables 5 Edible Leaves 5 Other Vegetables 5 Fruits 5 Nuts 6 Other 6 Multiple Uses of Food Crops for Permaculture in the Tropics 6 Cereal Grains 6 Legumes 6 Root Crops 7 Fruit Vegetables 7 Edible Leaves 7 Other Vegetables 8 Fruits 8 Nuts 9 Other 9 Supplemental Plants & Their Multiple Uses 10 Multiple Uses of Plants Used as Feed 10 Feed Legumes 10 Feed Grasses 10 Multiple Uses of Supplemental Plants 11 Fiber Plants 11 Timber Plants 11 Fuel Wood Trees of the Hot Humid Tropics 11 Plants for Ecological Purposes 13 Multiple Uses of Plants for Ecological Purposes 13 Alley Cropping 13 Ground Cover 14 Windbreak 14 Living Fence 14 Permaculture Plant Fact Sheets 15 African Breadfruit 15 Agati 16 Agave 16 Apple-Ring Acacia 17 Australian Pine 17 Avocado 17 Bamboo 18 Banana 18 Basul 19 Breadfruit 19 Breadnut 20 Calabash 20 Carob 20 Coconut 21 Coral Beans 21 Corn, Maize 22

Cowpea 22 Date Palm 23 Elephant Grass 23 Florida Velvet Bean 23 Guava 24 Guineagrass 24 Gumbolimbo 25 Holosericea 25 Honey Locust 25 Horseradish Trees 26 Indian Almond 26 Jack Bean 27 Jackfruit 27 Jerusalem Thorn 28 Katuk 28 Kudzu (tropical) 28 Lablab Bean 29 Leucaena 29 Mahoe, Hau 30 Malabar Chestnut 30 Mango 31 Mother of Cocoa 31 Neem 32 Okra 32 Owala Oil Tree 32 Palmyra Palm 33 Pangola Grass 33 Papaya 33 Paradise Tree 34 Parkia 34 Peanut 35 Pigeon Pea 35 Pili Nut 35 Prickly Pear 36 Prickly Sesban 36 Prosopis 37 Shea Butter Tree 37 Soybean 37 Sweet Potato 38 Tahitian Chestnut 38 Tamarind 39 Taro, Dasheen, and Eddoe 39 Tropical Lima Beans 40 Tropical Pumpkin 40 Umbrella Thorn 41 Winged Bean 41 Yams 41 Yeheb 42 Editor’s Comments 43 Index 44 Appendix I - Resoures 55 Appendix II - Suppliers 61 Note on Plant Names Used 63 About the Author 64 Credits 64