Machaerium lunatum
is a perennial shrub that grows in aquatic environment
especially on the banks of fresh, brackish and marine habitats especially in tidal zones. A study
of the possibility of the propagation of this plant outside its natural aquatic environment, what
part of the stem will grow and what soil type will be most suitable for it was carried out.
Mature, medium and very young stem propagules and five soil types were used for this purpose
and include (a) riverbed soil, from the natural habitat of the plant, (b) sandy soil, (c) clay soil,
(d) Humus soil and (e) a mixture of sandy + Humus soil. The study was carried out for five
weeks at the University of Port Harcourt Ecological Centre. The parameters used to measure the
performance were plant height, leaf number, leaf area, and the number of sprouted nodes. At the
end of the study, it was found that humus soil had the highest figure for plant height (4.6±1.14)
closely followed by riverbed soil (4.5±2.4). For number of leaves riverbed soil performed better
than the other soil types (19.1± 7.1). Sandy soil performed better than others (1.5±0.3) for leaf
area while for sprouted node Humus soil was higher (1.75± 0.8) than the others. This result
shows that
M. lunatum can be propagated outside its natural environment, and humus soil can
support the growth better than the other soil types. This study will also provide a template for
further studies on this plant since its importance in the Niger Delta cannot be overemphasized.
© JASEM
