Species

Caesalpinia decapetala

Etymology

Caesalpinia: After Andrea Cesalpino (1525-1603) an Italian botanist, philosopher and physician

Common Name(s)

Mysore thorn

Authority

Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alston

Family

Fabaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Habitat

Terrestrial.

Features

Spinous scrambling shrub to c. 15m tall; twigs moderately to densely puberulent, finely ribbed, rounded. Lvs 2-paripinnate; pinnae in (3)-5-10 pairs; leaflets with fine, usually appressed hairs, oblong, obtuse, entire, shortly petiolulate, 8-20mm long, in 6-12 pairs; stipules ovate-lanceolate, deciduous; spines broad-based, recurved, present on stem and if-rachis. infl. axillary or terminal, racemose, many-flowered,>lvs; bracts and bracteoles deciduous. Calyx teeth unequal, rounded. Corolla pale yellow, c. 15mm long. Pod broad, oblong, tardily dehiscent, few-seeded, 7-10 x 2-3 cm; seeds smooth, mottled brown, 8-10mm long. (Webb.et.al.1988)

Flowering

November

Flower Colours

Yellow

Year Naturalised

1965

Origin

India

Reason For Introduction
Ornamental

Life Cycle Comments
Perennial.

This page last updated on 8 May 2011