Calliandra eriophylla var. chamaedrys Isely

  • Authors

    Rupert C. Barneby

  • Authority

    Barneby, Rupert C. 1998. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: A generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part III. Calliandra. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74: 1-223.

  • Family

    Mimosaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Calliandra eriophylla var. chamaedrys Isely

  • Type

    "[B. L.] Turner 3642. 15 miles north of Uvalde, Uvalde Co., Texas. June 26, 1954." — Holotypus, SMU!. — Non C. chamaedrys Engelmann, which is a taxonomic synonym of C. eriophylla var. eriophylla, the varietal epithet in the circumstances deplorable.

  • Synonyms

    Calliandra chamaedrys Engelm.

  • Description

    Variety Description - In habit, foliage, and flowers exactly duplicating the more amply foliate states of var. eriophylla found in the Sonoran Desert, but notable for the relatively long pod (8-10 cm) and remotely allopatric dispersal.

    Distribution and Ecology - On caliche soils of dry hillsides below 450 m, very local, known with certainty only from the valley of upper Leona River in Uvalde County, Texas, perhaps also shortly to the w. in adj. Kinney County. — Map 8.-Fl. V-VI.

    Variation - Characters other than the long pod listed by Isely (1972: 276) as supporting the status of var. chamaedrys are ineffective: in Arizona the petiole of larger leaves reaches 9 mm, and the flowers vary from 3 to 7, exceptionally 9 per capitulum. Isely’s count of 2-5 flowers per capitulum, modified (1973: 79) to 2-4, is incompatible with a 7-flowered capitulum evident on Wright 1367 (NY).

  • Distribution

    Texas United States of America North America|