Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alston
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Authority
Isley, Duane. 1975. Leguminosae of the United States: II. Subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (2): 1-228.
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Family
Caesalpiniaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Scrambling or climbing, thorny, branches often vine-like, pubescent to glabrate shrub to 3 m. Leafstalk 1-3 dm, densely to moderately armed with recurved prickles; pinnae 6-10 pairs; leaflets 7-12 pairs, petiolulate, obovate-elliptic to oblong, rounded, 1-2(-2.5) cm, 2-2.5 r, with evident venation. Stipules not seen, said to be semisagittate, deciduous. Flowers numerous, in axillary and terminal, erect or declined racemes, crowded in bud with conspicuous, lanceolate, quickly deciduous bracts, nodding at anthesis. Pedicels slender, not jointed, spreading-ascending, 1.5-3 cm. Calyx lobes imbricate and unequal in bud, the outer cucullate, to 1 cm at anthesis, irregularly deflexed and ultimately deciduous; corolla rotate, the petals pale yellow, some red-spotted or not, unequal, suborbicular, 10-13 mm, the standard smaller and distinctly clawed; filaments approximating or exceeding petals, pink, strongly villous. Legume tardily dehiscent through upper suture, oblong, flat, slender-beaked, 7-10 cm long, 2-3 cm broad; valves coriaceous to subligneous; upper suture a strong ridge. Seeds few.
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Discussion
There are two forms of Caesalpinia decapetala in the United States generally differing as follows: 1. Plant slightly to considerably prickly, with glabrate-glaucous to puberulent raceme axes; leaflets 4-7(-8) pairs, 1—2(—2.5) cm; pedicels 2-3.5 cm, often 1 cm apart on axis; some intermedicy with following. var. japónica. 1. Plant moderately to densely thorny with closely puberulent raceme-axes; leaflets 7-12 pairs, .8-1.5 cm; pedicels 1.5-2.5 cm, more crowded than above. var. decapetala.
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Distribution
S Florida, California, elsewhere in conservatories. Novelty. All year. Tropical Asia, now widely distributed in both hemispheres.