Calliandra parviflora

  • Title

    Calliandra parviflora

  • Authors

    Rupert C. Barneby

  • Scientific Name

    Calliandra parviflora Benth.

  • Description

    131. Calliandra parviflora Bentham, London J. Bot. 3: 112. 1844. — "Brazil (Minas Geraes ?), Sello, Pohl, Claussen, Langsdorff." Lectoholotypus, Claussen 119, K (hb. Benth.)!. Fig. 31

    Acacia pachyloma Martius, 1875: 557, in syn., nom. nud. — Spma authentica: Martius Hb. Fl. Bras. 1108, K!, NY!. — Feuilleea pachyloma O. Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 186. 1891.

    Calliandra parviflora sensu Bentham, 1876: 427, t. CX; Glaziou, 1905; Bernardi, 1984: 171; Lewis, 1987: 175.

    Slender, elaborately microphyllidious, densely leafy shrubs 1-2.5 m, several-stemmed from base and freely branching distally, the older trunks defoliate glabrate lenticellate, the young stems and all lf-axes pilose or pilosulous with fine, widely ascending or subappressed, white or partly brownish hairs to 0.4-1.3 mm, the dark-olivaceous lvs concolorous, the minute, closely imbricate lfs glabrous facially, sometimes remotely appressed-ciliolate, the inflorescence composed of axillary and terminal, efoliate or hysteranthously foliate pseudoracemes of small, subglobose and incipiently spiciform capitula fasciculate at each node on subfiliform peduncles, the fruits developing either on efoliate axes or immersed in delayed foliage; phyllotaxy distichous. Stipules heteromorphic: a) the lowest of each annual growth-complement forming, contemporary with the fruit, an ovoid resting-bud axillary to a mature primary lf of the preceding cycle, the imbricate blades ovate or oblong- ovate ±1.5-3 mm, striate, glabrous dorsally but often lanulose-ciliolate, persisting at base of the new branchlets, b) those subtending the lowest lvs of new branchlets linear-oblong, transitional in form between a) and c); and c) at foliate nodes of mature branchlets and subtending hysteranthous lvs of inflorescence-axes, linear-lanceolate or setiform 2-9 x 0.2-0.6 mm, incurved, 1-nerved or externally nerveless, eventually deciduous. Lf-formula (x-)xiv- xxxvi/30-49, the leaflets of largest lvs 3000+, seldom <1000 in any; lf-stk of longer lvs (4—)5—12(—17) cm, the petiole, consisting largely of obese pulvinus, 2-6(-12) mm, the longer interpinnal segments 2.5-6 mm, the ventral groove continuous; pinnae subequilong, the rachis of longer ones 14—32(—38) mm, the longer interfoliolar segments 0.2-0.5 mm; lft- pulvinules 0.1-0.25 mm, mostly yellowish, not wrinkled; lfts subequilong, the blade linear or linear- lanceolate from obtusely auriculate base, acute or mucronulate, the larger ones (1.8-)2.2-3.5 x 0.4-0.8 mm, 4.4—6.5(-7.2) times as long as wide, all weakly 1-nerved, the simple costa subcentric at mid-blade, a short posterior primary nerve sometimes faintly perceptible. Inflorescence units (l-)2-8(-9) per node, each 3-14-fld, the subfiliform ebracteolate peduncles of unequal length, the first at each node of the pseudoraceme seldom <6 and to 13 mm, the floral axis becoming 0.5-3.5(-5) mm; bracts spreading- incurved, lanceolate or ovate 0.45-0.9 mm, either ciliolate or glabrous, persistent; fls homomorphic except some staminate, sessile or almost so, the obconic pedicel no more than 0.2 mm; perianth crimson, glabrous or microscopically puberulent distally, both calyx and corolla submembranous 5-nerved, bluntly pentagonal; calyx turbinate-campanulate 0.8-1.3 mm, the incurved teeth 0.2-0.5 mm; corolla 1.6-2.4 mm, the ovate lobes 0.6-1.2 mm; androecium (6-)7-11(-"12")-merous, when straightened out 5-7 mm, the stemonozone ±0.3-0.4 mm, the membranous tube 0.8-1.3 mm, the cupular intrastaminal disc 0.4-0.75 mm tall; ovary (often wanting) puberulent in age, becoming densely brown-strigulose after fertilization. Pods erect on thickened peduncle, solitary or rarely 2-3 per capitulum, in profile linear-oblanceolate, when well fertilized 5-11 x 0.6-0.9(-1.2) cm, 5-8-seeded, the dilated sutural ribs 2.5-4.5 mm wide in dorsal view, the recessed lignescent valves plane, faintly if at all venulose, the whole densely pilosulous with loosely appressed-ascending, brownish and gray hairs; seeds (few seen) in broad profile obovate ±4.5-5 x 3-3.5 mm, the testa pale brown or faintly fuscous-mottled, smooth, the U-shaped pleurogram ±3.5 x 2 mm.

    In cerradão, in campo cerrado, on bush-islands in palm-savanna, at gallery margins and in other types of brush-woodland, sometimes surviving disturbance in hedgerows, 170-800, infrequently up to 1000 m, locally plentiful over much of the Brazilian Planalto, from the upper rio S. Francisco valley in Minas Gerais and s.-w. Bahia w. to the upper Paraguai basin and n.-e. Bolivia, thence n. in Brazil to the middle Araguaia valley in s.-e. Pará and to the upper Parnaíba valley in Maranhão, within latitude 6°-24°S and 44°-62°W. — Map 50. — Fl. X-III(-IV). — Angiquinho.

    Calliandra parviflora is notable for the syndrome of: high leaf-formula and proportionately minute leaflets; perulate resting buds; efoliate (or some hysteranthously foliate) pseudoracemes of tiny carmine flowers; short, mostly 6-11-merous androecium; and a cupular intrastaminal nectary in all flowers, whether staminate or bisexual. Similar resting buds and similarly decompound leaves are common in the family Mimosaceae; but all such differ at anthesis from C. parviflora either by extrafloral nectaries, or by white to yellow perianth and androecium, or by free stamens, or by some combination of these characters.