Gleditsia amorphoides (Griseb.) Taub.

  • 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

    Gleditsia amorphoides (Griseb.) Taub.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Armed or unarmed tree of glabrate aspect. Leaves 1-pinnate, and (or) 2-pinnate with 2-4 pairs pinnae, the 1-pinnate leaves fascicled from last years twigs or alternate; leafstalk 6-15 cm, initially puberulent, glabrate at maturity; leaflets 5-9 pairs, barely petioluled, asymmetric at base, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 1.4-3.5 cm, 1.6-2 r, obscurely crenulate, glossy, glabrous except for petiolules, somewhat reticulate. Spines terete, simple or slightly branched. Flowers in simple racemes, 1.5-4 cm, subtended by 1-2 subulate bracts; both male and fertile flowers fascicled; ovary pubescent. Legume short-oblong-falcate, thick, compressed, 4-10 cm long, ca 3 cm wide; valves pulpy when immature, woody and thick at maturity. Seeds few.

  • Discussion

    One specimen (Fairchild Garden) without fruit matches South American material as to foliage and bracteate staminate flowers but the bracts are scarcely sepaloid as characterized by Gordon (1966).

  • Distribution

    S Florida. Novelty. South America, introduced in Old World.

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