Dichrostachys

  • Authority

    Isley, Duane. 1973. Leguminosae of the United States: I. Subfamily. Mimosoideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (1): 1-152.

  • Family

    Mimosaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Dichrostachys

  • Description

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    Genus Description - Armed shrubs or small trees, the thorns consisting of short determinate spurs. Leaves bipinnate, mostly with numerous pinnae and leaflets; leafstalk with a (usually) stalked gland between the lowermost pair of leaflets or between several of the lower pairs. Inflorescences of axillary spikes. Flowers numerous, the upper, fertile, yellowish; the lower, white to purple, sterile with elongate staminodes. Stamens 10, the anthers of the fertile ones tipped when young with stalked, deciduous glands. Calyx shallowly toothed. Corolla gamopetalous, tubular, lobed ½-1/3 of length, but petals easily separating to base. Legume laterally compressed, usually contorted at maturity, indehiscent, or valves irregularly breaking.

  • Discussion

    Cailliea Guill. & Perrott Except that it is woody, the technical characters of Dichrostachys are similar to those of Neptunia. I doubt, however, that the two are closely related.

  • Distribution

    Ca 6 species, of Africa and adjacent islands, warm Asia, Australia. One naturalized in American tropics, slightly established in southern Florida.

    Africa| Asia| Australia Oceania|