Caesalpinia pauciflora (Griseb.) C.Wright

  • Authority

    Isley, Duane. 1975. Leguminosae of the United States: II. Subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (2): 1-228.

  • Family

    Caesalpiniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Caesalpinia pauciflora (Griseb.) C.Wright

  • Description

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    Species Description - Prickly, glabrate, ascending or scrambling shrub to 2 m. Leafstalk 4-10 cm, often prickly; pinnae 3-5 pairs; leaflets 4-7 pairs, petioluled, elliptic or obovate, symmetric, 5-14 mm, 1.7-1.9 r, finely punctate (magnification), with only midnerve evident. Prickles inevident to conspicuous, largely nodal and paired, those of leafstalk usually stipular in position. Flowers in small terminal racemes, often included within foliage. Pedicels filiform, 1.5-2.5 cm, apically jointed; calyx irregular, the outer lobe cucullate, 5-6 mm, investing the others in bud; petals yellow, 6-9 mm; filaments said to be red (yellow when dried), short-pilose, slightly exceeding corolla. Legume dehiscent, shortly stipitate above conspicuous hypanthial cup, asymmetric-lunate, 2-4 cm long, to 1 cm broad, obliquely beaked, coriaceous.

  • Discussion

    Poinciana pauciflora (Griseb.) Small (1903) CN 2n = 24 (Atchison, 1951). Caesalpinia pauciflora is conspicuous in pinelands on Big Pine Key, and known also from Summerland and Cudjoe Keys.

  • Distribution

    Subtropical Florida, Monroe and Dade cos. Native, Keys; introduced in Miami. Dry pinelands or palmetto-pine, hammocks, roadsides, locally common. All year. West Indies.

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