| DESCRIPTION: First erect then decumbent, deep-rooted, herbaceous legume with stems up to 70 cm long forming a dense canopy. Leaves pinnate, with 9-18 pairs of greenish-blue leaflets up to 1 cm long. Inflorescence an umbel of 2-5 pink to white flowers. USE: Used for rotational grazing or silage with high nutritive value. GROWING PERIOD: Annual. Life cycle adapted to escape summer drought. Seeds germinate in autumn following summer dormancy and the onset of autumn rainfall. COMMON NAMES: Pink serradella. FURTHER INF: Grown as summer annual in south-west Europe. Introduced to south-west Australia where grown as cool-season annual. Adapted to regions with a Mediterranean-type climate and to warm, temperate areas. Requires annual rainfall of 500 mm upwards. Late-flowering types require more rainfall during autumn to spring growth period than early-flowering types in order to encourage seed production. Best adapted to lighter, well drained and fertile soils but is tolerant of infertile, acid and heavy soils. DM yields of about 4 t/ha have been reported. |