Caesalpinia ferrea Mart. ex Tul.

  • Authority

    Isley, Duane. 1975. Leguminosae of the United States: II. Subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (2): 1-228.

  • Family

    Caesalpiniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Caesalpinia ferrea Mart. ex Tul.

  • Description

    Species Description - Unarmed tree of glabrate aspect. Leafstalk 4-12 cm, puberulent; pinnae 3-4 pairs plus 1; leaflets 5-7 pairs, shortly petiolulate, elliptic to obovate, rounded to emarginate, 1.5-2 cm, 2.1-3.3r, glabrous, reticulate-nerved. Flowers in simple or branched, intercalary or terminal racemes. Pedicels 4-7 mm, articulate at apex; calyx-hypanthium 8-10 mm, lobes glabrate, imbricate, subequal, the outer cucullate but entire, ca 7 mm; petals yellow, subequal, ca 10 mm; stamens approximating petals. Legume dehiscent (?), shortly stipitate, oblong to elliptic, slightly curved, compressed but thick, ca 8 cm long, 2 cm wide. Seeds 1-3.

  • Discussion

    CN n = 12 (Turner and Irwin, 1961); 2n = 24 (Atchison, 1951). Our specimens reasonably match limited Brazilian material. Others from Ecuador with considerably smaller flowers are perhaps varietally distinct.

  • Distribution

    S Florida. Novelty. July-Sept. South America.

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