Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Sophora
Including:
S. alopecuroides, Sophora Root
S. arizonica
S. microphylla, Kowhai
S. secundiflora , Mescal Bean
S. tetraptera, Kowhai
S. toromiro , Toromiro
Sophora is a genus of small trees and shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae.
The genus formerly had a broader interpretation including many other species now treated in other genera, notably Styphnolobium, which differs in lacking nitrogen fixing bacteria (rhizobia) on the roots.
The Toromiro was formerly a common tree in the forests of Easter Island. The tree fell victim to the deforestation that eliminated the island's forests by the 18th century, and later became extinct in the wild. The tree is being reintroduced to the island in a scientific project led by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details