Mimosa aspera

Title

Mimosa aspera

Authors

Rupert C. Barneby

Scientific Name

Mimosa aspera M.E.Jones

Description

44. Mimosa aspera M. E. Jones, Contr. W. Bot. 15: 133. 1929.—No locality given, the missing data supplied by Jones, Contr. W. Bot. 16: 42. 1930.—"No. 22995. La Barrance [sic, = w. of Plan de Barranca, Jalisco, fide McVaugh, 1987: 204], February 21, 1927."—Holotypus, POM, seen in photo (NY!) kindly supplied by R. Grether, 1987.

M. aspera sensu Morton, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 29: 98. 1945; McVaugh, 1987: 204.

Shrubs of unknown stature, armed on infrastipular ribs of intemodes and on some lf-axes with broad-based aculei, thinly puberulent, the lfts glabrous or glabrate, the fls capitulate but the organization of inflorescence not known. Stipules subulate 3-5 mm. Leaf-formula iii-iv/8-10, the petiole almost 0, the longer interpinnal segments to 18-23 mm, the rachis of longer pinnae ±5 cm, the interfoliolar segments 5-7 mm; lfts oblong-elliptic, obtuse or subacute, to 8-12 x 3-4.5 mm, reticulate-nerved beneath. Pods sessile in a radiating cluster, in profile linear-oblong, obtuse at each end, ±30 x 8 mm, the replum densely hispid with 2-3 series of straight erect setaculei to 3.5 mm, the stiffly papery valves both puberulent and densely setaculeate, separating from replum in one piece.

Mimosa aspera, imperfectly known only from the type-collection, which consists of one leafy branchlet and one detached cluster of dehisced pods, is provisionally assigned to ser. Acanthocarpae because of the fruit’s valvate dehiscence. In this context the relatively simple lf-formula and relatively large, distant, dorsally venulose and ventrally lustrous leaflets are distinctive. The foregoing description is compiled from that of McVaugh (1987: 204) and the cited photograph.