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Snowflake wattle (Zapoteca portoricensis)

Dlium Snowflake wattle (Zapoteca portoricensis)

Snowflake wattle (Zapoteca portoricensis) is a plant species in Fabaceae, perennial, shrubs with many branches, pioneer plants that can live in various types of soil at an altitude of 500-2000 m, green leaves have white features, wood is used as energy and leaves for animal feed.

Z. portoricensis has several supporting roots and finer roots that extend to the ground surface. Tubular stem with green bark. Young twigs are bright green, tubular and have linear angles.





Mature leaves are dark green and young leaves are bright green. Length of up to 20 cm, width of up to 15 cm and at night or dark or rain will fold towards the trunk. The upper surface has white marks around the bones forming linear lines.

Pod-shaped fruit, thin and straight, green and has spaces filled with seeds. The mature pods will dry out, the sides will thicken and hard which suddenly burst from the tip to spit out the seeds in a circular motion.

Snowflake wattle grow to fill disturbed lands including, erosion slopes, river banks and road sides. Live in a variety of habitats up to altitude of 1900 m, but thrives on 250-800 m, rainfall 2000-2400 mm/year and dry season 3-6 months, temperature 22-28C and pH 4.5.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Mimosoideae
Tribe: Ingeae
Genus: Zapoteca H.M.Hern. in Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 73: 757 (1986 publ. 1987)
Species: Zapoteca portoricensis (Jacq.) H.M.Hern. in Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 73: 758 (1986 publ. 1987)
Subspecies: Zapoteca portoricensis subsp. flavida (Urb.) H.M.Hern., Zapoteca portoricensis subsp. portoricensis, Zapoteca portoricensis subsp. pubicarpa H.M.Hern.

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Acacia portoricensis (Jacq.) Willd. in Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 4: 1069 (1806)
Anneslia portoricensis (Jacq.) Donn.Sm. in Enum. Pl. Guatem. 2: 18 (1891)
Calliandra portoricensis (Jacq.) Benth. in London J. Bot. 3: 99 (1844)
Feuilleea portoricensis (Jacq.) Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 188 (1891)
Mimosa portoricensis Jacq. in Collectanea 4: 143 (1791)

PUBLICATIONS

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.

Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers.

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.

Forzza, R.C., Zappi, D. & Souza, V.C. (2016-continuously updated). Flora do Brasil 2020 em construção http://reflora.jbrj.gov.br/reflora/listaBrasil/ConsultaPublicaUC/ResultadoDaConsultaNovaConsulta.do.

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.

Hammel, B.E., Grayum, M.H., Herrera & C. & Zamora, N. (eds.) (2010). Manual de plantas de Costa Rica volumen V. Dicotiledóneas (Clusiaceae-Gunneraceae). Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 119: 1-970. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.

Jørgensen, P.M., Nee, M.H. & Beck., S.G. (eds.) (2013). Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de Bolivia. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 127: 1-1741. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Lock, J.M. & Ford, C.S. (2004). Legumes of Malesia a Check-List: 1-295. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

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.

Aryo Bandoro
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