Pithecellobium keyense
| Pithecellobium keyense | |
|---|---|
| |
| Showing emerging flowers | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
| Genus: | Pithecellobium |
| Species: | P. keyense
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pithecellobium keyense Britton ex Britton & Rose
| |
Pithecellobium keyense (common names Florida Keys blackbead[1] and Acacie ẚ quatre feuilles in the Antilles)[2] is a species of flowering plant in the legume family (Fabaceae). It is native to the West Indies of North America, where it found in The Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, the Mexican states of Quintana Roo and Yucatan, and the U.S. state of Florida.[3] It typically grows over sand and limestone substrates, often near coastal areas.[4][5] It is a common species throughout much of its range.[4][5]
Pithecellobium keyense is a shrub or small tree. It has pinnately compound leaves, with 2-4 leaflets. The leaves are evergreen and leathery in texture. Flowers are produced in heads, and range in color from white to pink. Its fruits are a long coiled bean.[4]
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A fruiting specimen
References
- ^ NRCS. "Pithecellobium keyense". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 29 July 2018.
- ^ Austin, D.F. (2004) Florida Ethnobotany (p.518), CRC Press.
- ^ Grandtner, M.M. (2005). Elsevier's Dictionary of Trees: Volume 1: North America. Elsevier Science. p. 671.
- ^ a b c Pithecellobium keyense Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve
- ^ a b Florida Keys blackbead The Institute for Regional Conservation