Calliandra goldmanii

  • Title

    Calliandra goldmanii

  • Authors

    Rupert C. Barneby

  • Scientific Name

    Calliandra goldmanii Rose ex Barneby

  • Description

    9. Calliandra goldmanii Rose ex Barneby, sp. nov., C. rubescenti foliorum formula necnon filamentis parti-coloribus similis, sed ab ea stipulis latioribus striatis, foliolis majoribus, necnon leguminibus latioribus 11-16 (nec 5-10) mm latis abstans. — MEXICO. Chiapas: Mun. Cintalapa, 23 km w. of Las Cruces, 870 m, 30 Oct 1981 (fl, fr), D. E. Breedlove 54121.
    — Holotypus, NY. — Anneslia goldmanii Rose ms, in sched., E. A. Goldman 850, NY.

    Anneslia seleri sensu Britton & Rose, 1928: 62, ex parte, typo excluso.

    Stiffly crookedly branched microphyllidious trees 3-9 m with terete plagiotropic or widely ascending branches and densely thatched florigerous brachyblasts, the young branches and lf-axes thinly or densely pilosulous with either straight or incurved, either loosely ascending or spreading hairs to 0.3-0.7 mm, the firm bicolored lfts lustrous and darker green above, either facially glabrous and cili(ol)ate or erect-pilosulous on lower (rarely also on upper) face, the stout peduncles arising singly from stipulate but elaminate axils of brachyblasts; phyllotaxy distichous. Stipules broad-lanceolate or triangular (2.5-) 3-8 x 2-4 mm, the blades firmly chartaceous, when young finely closely 11-21-nerved, persistent but erose in age. Lf-formula ii-iii(-iv)/(13-) 14—19; lf-stk of primary lvs to 2-4 cm, the petiole 7-17 mm, at middle 0.6-1.4 mm, the ventral groove obscurely bridged, the one or the longest of 2(-3) interpinnal segments commonly ± as long as petiole, sometimes shorter; pinnae usually a little accrescent distally, the rachis of furthest pair ±4-7 cm, the longer interfoliolar segments 2-3.2 mm; lft- pulvinules 0.2-0.45(-0.6) x 0.4-0.8 mm, wrinkled; lfts weakly graduated, the blades linear-oblong, rarely lance- or elliptic-oblong from shortly obtusely auricu- late base, straight or subincurved beyond middle, deltately acute or apiculate, the longer ones (8-) 10-16 x 2.7-4.8 mm, (3.4-)3.5-5.4 times as long as wide; venation palmate-pinnate, the straight or almost straight midrib displaced to divide blade ±1:1.5-2, on posterior side branched from middle upward, on antrorse side branched from base upward, the inner posterior primary nerve ascending at least to, often somewhat beyond mid-blade, all these and a fine irregular reticulum of veinlets prominulous on both faces. Peduncles 9-28 mm, usually bracteate near or below middle; capitula 12—18-fld, the receptacle 1.5-2 mm diam; floral bracts ovate or subulate 0.8-2 mm; fls subsessile, in most capitula heteromorphic, the perianth of the central-terminal fl wider but scarcely longer than that of the rest but its androecium scarcely modified; perianth 4-5-merous, yellowish-green sometimes red-tinged, externally glabrous overall but the orifice sometimes microscopically ciliolate, the calyx weakly striate, the corolla nerveless externally or almost so; PERIPHERAL FLS: pedicel at most 0.4 x 0.8 mm, often scarcely perceptible; calyx 3.2-5 x 2-3.2 mm, the broad obtuse teeth 0.4-0.8 mm; corolla 8-9.5 mm, the lobes 2-3 mm; androecium 14—18-merous, ±3.6-4 cm, the tube 5.5-9.5 mm, the stemonozone 0.7-1.1 mm, the filaments white in lower half, the tassel deep pink or carmine; ovary at anthesis glabrous; no nectarial disc seen, but probably present in bisexual fls. Pods stiffly erect-ascending, in broad profile 6.5-11 x 1.1-1.6 cm, the sutural ribs in dorsal view 5-8.5 mm wide, the inflexibly lignescent valves brown, minutely pilosulous overall and also thinly or densely granular; seeds (few seen) 6.3-7.5 x 3.5-5.5 mm, the smooth brown testa faintly dark-speckled, pleurogrammic.

    In tropical deciduous woodland and pine-oak forest, sometimes riparian and surviving deforestation as a pasture- or hedge-tree, 250-915 m, locally common, apparently of bicentric range: within 16°-17°N, 92°-94°W in s. Chiapas, Mexico; and near 10°N, 85°W in prov. Guanacaste and Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

    Calliandra goldmanii has much in common with C. rubescens, especially leaf-formula and particolored androecium, but differs in broader, striately nerved stipules, larger leaflets, and pods 11-16, not 5-10 mm wide. Its densely thatched brachyblasts recall C. belizensis, but this has sessile capitula, ample striate floral bracts, and more numerous, whitish filaments.