Caesalpinia mexicana A.Gray

  • 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 mexicana A.Gray

  • Description

    Species Description - Unarmed, glabrous shrub or tree to 10 m. Leafstalk 5-15 cm; pinnae 2-4 pairs plus 1; leaflets 3-5 pairs, subpetiolulate, elliptic or ovate-elliptic, nearly symmetric, .8-2(-2.5) cm, 1.2-2.1 r, with evident secondary nervation. Flowers in ample, 1-3 dm, often clustered intercalary or terminal, simple or compound racemes. Pedicels obliquely spreading or ascending, apically jointed, 1-2 cm; calyx lobes ovate, imbricate, subequal but outer slightly cucullate, 6-8 mm, glabrous to puberulent; petals golden-yellow (standard orange at base), 1-1.5 cm, obovate to obcordate, clawed; standard and wings becoming recurved, keels horizontal; filaments yellow, slightly exceeding corolla. Legume elastically dehiscent, shordy stipitate, broadly asymmetric-oblong or oblong-oblanceolate, slightly lunate or not, flat, 5-7 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide; valves thinly coriaceous, tan, obliquely tipped, evidently glandular or not. Seeds few.

  • Discussion

    Poincianella mexicana (Gray) Britt. 8c Rose (1930) Cassia surattensis Hort. p.p. CN 2n = 24 (Atchison, 1951).

  • Distribution

    S Texas, cult, ornamental and escaped, possibly native; novelty, s Florida, Arizona, urban California. Feb.-April(-Sept.). Mexico.

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