J.B. HACKER¹, A. GLATZLE² and R. VANNI³

¹ATFGRC, Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, CSIRO, Brisbane, Australia
²Estación Experimental Chaco Central, MAG/GTZ, Asunción, Paraguay
³Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Corrientes, Argentina

Abstract

Paraguay has a climate similar to that of central Queensland and a legume flora with potential for improving pastures in the tropics and subtropics, but has received little attention from plant collectors. Variation in climate, vegetation, land use and soils are briefly outlined. The outcomes from a collecting expedition, focussing on the Paraguayan Chaco, but including east Paraguay, are presented. The most promising collections for pasture improvement were species in the genera Aeschynomene, Arachis, Centrosema, Desmanthus, Macroptilium and Mimosa.