Caesalpinia spinosa (Molina) Kuntze
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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 - Usually armed shrub or small tree with tawny-puberulent young growth. Leafstalk 2-7(-10) cm; pinnae 2-3(-5) pairs; leaflets 5-7 pairs, sessile, elliptic, 1.7-4(-4.5) cm, 1.7-2.6 r, glabrous, finely punctate, semi-resinous and with evident nervation beneath. Stipules wanting. Prickles evident or not, largely internodal on stems, stipellar-positioned on leafstalk. Flowers numerous in dense, reddish-yellow mostly terminal, narrow, clustered (2-3) racemes with puberulent, viscous axes. Pedicels 5-10 mm, puberulent, indistinctly jointed; calyx lobes imbricate, unequal in bud, the outer pectinate and cucullate, ca 5-6 mm at anthesis, all deciduous from hypanthial cup following anthesis; petals yellow and reddish, suborbicular, 6-7 mm; stamens irregular in length, equaling or exceeding petals. Legume indehiscent, oblong, compressed, but turgid, 6-10 cm long, (1-) 1.5-2.5 cm wide; valves thick and pulpy, becoming fibrous-spongy to coriaceous and dry, often conspicuously expressed over seeds, reddish-brown to brown. Seeds few.
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Discussion
C. pectinata Cav. (1799) C. tinctoria (H.B.K.) Benth. ex Reiche (1897) Tara spinosa (Mol.) Britt. 8c Rose (1930) CN 2n = 24 (Diers, 1961); n = 12 (Turner and Irwin, 1961). Caesalpinia spinosa is one of 3 species of Caesalpinia whose pods are a source of tannin. Examination of South American material confirms Sprague’s (1931) contention that C. spinosa (Chile), C. tinctoria (Peru), C. horrida (Peru), and C. pectinata (“Nova Hispania”) represent one and the same species.
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Distribution
Urban California. Cult, ornamental and slightly established. Introduced in Florida. All year. South America, also Antilles (introduced?).
South America| West Indies| United States of America North America|