leucaena

American  

[loo-see-nuh] / luˈsi nə /

noun

1. any of various tropical trees belonging to the genus Leucaena, of the legume family, which includes the lead tree.

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Etymology

Origin of leucaena

< New Latin (1842), apparently < Greek leukaín ( ein ) to become white (derivative of leukós white, bright; leuko- ) + New Latin -a -a ²

Example Sentences

But the tropical Leucaena leucocephala is a bit different from other trees: in tropical climates it grows as high as 65 ft. in five years.

From Time Magazine Archive

That is the word being spread by Forestry Expert Michael Benge, an employee of the federal Agency for International Development, who has become a bureaucratic Johnny Appleseed for the leucaena.

From Time Magazine Archive

The secret of the leucaena's rapid growth is in its roots; they extend as deep as the tree is tall.

From Time Magazine Archive

For Benge, the leucaena has held a fascination since the mid-1960s, when he learned of it on an agricultural project in Viet Nam.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Philippines has its own ambitious leucaena program; so too do India and Indonesia.

From Time Magazine Archive