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Kaliandra (Calliandra houstoniana)

Dlium Kaliandra (Calliandra houstoniana)

Kaliandra (Calliandra houstoniana) is a plant species in Fabaceae, grows to a maximum of 12 m and a stem diameter of 20 cm, red or gray bark covered by small, pale oval-shaped lenticels. Taproot system is supported by finer roots with very large numbers and extends beyond the soil surface.

The leaves are small, compounded pairs, soft texture and dark green, 20 cm long, 15 cm wide and at night will fold toward the trunk by the motion of the dictation due to changes in light to dark. The canopy widens to the side and is very dense.





Flower bunches develop in a centralized position and flowers cluster around the end of the stem with threads generally white at the base and a striking red at the end. Andromonecious flowers and after fertilization will produce fruit and seeds will develop for 90 days.

Seeds will be formed if random intermarriage occurs but also self-pollination which causes low genetic diversity. Pollination is carried out by bats (Chiroptera) and moths (Sphingidae). This plant is found in small populations for 30-60 individuals.

Pods will form for two to four months and mature to lengths of up to 14 cm and width of 2 cm. Straight, brownish in color, usually containing 8-12 oval and flat seeds. The mature seed surface has black or brown spots and a distinctive horseshoe-shaped mark on both flat surfaces.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Mimosoideae
Tribe: Ingeae
Genus: Calliandra Benth. in J. Bot. (Hooker) 2: 138 (1840)
Species: Calliandra houstoniana (Mill.) Standl. in Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 23: 386 (1922)
Subspecies: Calliandra houstoniana subsp. alamosensis (Britton & Rose) Macqueen & H.M.Hern., Calliandra houstoniana subsp. houstoniana, Calliandra houstoniana subsp. stylesii Macqueen & H.M.Hern.

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Anneslia houstoniana (Mill.) Britton & Rose in N.L.Britton & al. (eds.), N. Amer. Fl. 23: 70 (1928)
Mimosa houstoniana Mill. in Gard. Dict., ed. 8.: n.° 16 (1768)

PUBLICATIONS

Balick, M.J., Nee, M.H. & Atha, D.E. (2000). Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Belize with Common Names an Uses: 1-246. New York Botanic Garden Press, New York.

Berendsohn, W.G., Gruber, A.K. & Monterrosa Salomón, J. (2009). Nova silva cusatlantica. Árboles nativos e introduciados de El Salvador. Parte 1: Angiospermae - Familias A a L. Englera 29-1: 1-438.

Garcia-Mendoza, A.J. & Meave, J.A. (eds.) (2012). Diversidad florística de Oaxaca: de musgos a angiospermas (colecciones y listas de especies), ed. 2: 1-351. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.

Lock, J.M. (1989). Legumes of Africa a check-List: 1-619. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

López Patiño, E.J., Szeszko, D.R., Rascala Pérez, J. & Beltrán Retis, A.S. (2012). The flora of the Tenacingo-Malinalco-Zumpahuacán protected natural area, state of Mexico, Mexico. Harvard Papers in Botany 17: 65-167.

Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Sanjappa, M., Pusalkar, P.K. & Mao, A.A. (eds.) (2024). Flora of India 6: 1-556. Botanical Survey of India.

Standley, P.C. & Steyermark, J.A. (1946). Flora of Guatemala. Fieldiana Botany New Series 24(5): 1-502. Field Museum of Natural History.

Stevens, W.D., Ulloa U., C., Pool, A. & Montiel, O.M. (2001). Flora de Nicaragua. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 85: i-xlii, 1-2666. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Villaseñor, J.L. (2016). Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 87: 559-902.

VERNACULAR NAME

English: Kaliandra, Tree calliandra, Tree Powderpuff, Powderpuff
Indonesian: Kaliandra, Kaliandra merah
Java: Kalandra

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