Plants
stylo
Stylosanthes guianensis (Aubl.) Sw.
Family: Fabaceae · Genus: Stylosanthes
Brazilian lucerne
Herbaceous forage legume, nitrogen-fixer. Rebello includes stylosanthes among key accumulation-phase species in Cerrado and Caatinga, alongside pigeon-pea, wolf-apple, vernonia and brachiaria grasses. A living adubadora — grows quickly on poor acid soils, fixes atmospheric N, supplies N-rich biomass to the low stratum in the first 1–3 years of syntropic planting.
Götsch succession
- Götsch stage
- Placenta I
- Ecological role
- Pioneer
- Primary stratum
- Ground cover
- Strata
- Ground cover
- Biomass class
- Fertilizer biomass
Environment
- Light requirement
- Full sun
- Water requirement
- Low
- Drought tolerance
- High
- Waterlogging tolerance
- Low
- Soil pH range
- 4–8.3
- Preferred soil texture
- Sandy, Loamy, Clayey
Morphology
- Mature height
- 0.4–1.2 m
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Lifespan
- 2–4 years
Biomes & climate
Köppen classes
- Tropical savanna with dry winter (Aw) Suitable
- Tropical monsoon (Am) Suitable
- Hot semi-arid (BSh) Suitable
- Subtropical with dry winter (Cwa) Suitable
Where it fits in a guild
Stylo takes the Ground cover stratum in the Placenta I phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time. It also fixes nitrogen, feeding the soil for its line neighbors.
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❓ Frequently asked questions
How tall does stylo grow?
At maturity, stylo reaches 0.4–1.2 m tall.
What stage and stratum does stylo occupy in a syntropic system?
In a syntropic system, stylo belongs to the placenta i stage, occupying the ground cover stratum.
Does stylo fix nitrogen?
Yes — stylo is a nitrogen-fixing species that helps fertilize the system's soil.
Functions
Propagation
Seed
Citations
- Rebello, J. F. S. (2018) — Princípios da Agricultura Sintrópica, EcoAgri , p. 18 (gotsch_stage, ecological_role, biomass_class, nitrogen_fixer)
- Tropical Forages — Stylosanthes guianensis (rainfall, pH, drought/waterlogging, propagation) (ph_min, ph_max, drought_tolerance, waterlogging_tolerance, propagation, soil_texture_preference, water_need)
- Feedipedia — Stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis) (height_min_m, height_max_m, drought_tolerance)
- GBIF — Stylosanthes guianensis (Aubl.) Sw. (accepted, key 2975693) (external_ids)
External references
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