Pithecellobium flexicaule (Benth.) J.M.Coult.
-
Authority
Isley, Duane. 1973. Leguminosae of the United States: I. Subfamily. Mimosoideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (1): 1-152.
-
Family
Mimosaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Description
Species Description - Armed, spreading, large-crowned tree to 20 m with heavy zigzag branches. Leaves mostly clustered from spurs; leafstalks with minute, spreading puberulence; and short-columnar glands between pinnae; pinnae 2(-3) pairs; leaflets 3-6 pairs, elliptic-oblong, ca 1 cm, symmetric to asymmetric, thick, glabrate, slightly shiny. Spines stipular, to .5 mm, black. Flowers in yellowish spikes fascicled from spurs. Calyx glutinous-puberulent; stamen sheath often exserted from corolla. Legume oblong, straight to falcate, turgidly compressed, 10-15 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide, to 1 cm thick, indehiscent and persistent, becoming woody and black. Seeds red, separated by transverse septa.
-
Discussion
Siderocarpus flexicaulis (Benth.) Small CN 2n = 26 (Atchison, 1951; as Siderocarpus). Texas Ebony is common in southern Texas as a medium-sized yard tree, and also occurs as brush along roadsides. But in remaining havens of woodland along the lower Rio Grande, it becomes a massive tree with trunk to 1 m in diameter.
-
Distribution
S Texas, rarely Florida (cultivated). Roadside thickets, thorn scrub, with Prosopis and Cactaceae; bottomland woodland, sandy silt to clay loams; frequent in towns as cultivated ornamental. May-July. Texas Ebony.
United States of America North America|