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Useful Tropical Plants

Calliandra formosa

(Kunth) Benth.

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Acacia formosa Kunth

Acacia gracilis M.Martens & Galeotti

Anneslia capillata (Benth.) Britton & Rose

Anneslia formosa (Kunth) Britton & Millsp.

Anneslia penduliflora (Rose) Britton & Rose

Calliandra capillata Benth.

Calliandra coulteri S.Watson

Calliandra gentryi Standl.

Calliandra penduliflora Rose

Feuilleea formosa (Kunth) Kuntze

Zapoteca formosa (Kunth) H.M.Hern.

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Calliandra formosa is an erect shrub growing up to 5 metres tall[
410
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 76
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1989
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. This volume contains a monograph of the genus Zapoteca (Calliandra) amongst other things.
].
The wood is harvested from the wild and used locally for general carpentry.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

410
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 76
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1989
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. This volume contains a monograph of the genus Zapoteca (Calliandra) amongst other things.

Range

S. America - Argentina, north through Central America to southwestern N. America and the Caribbean.

Habitat

Usually common in disturbed or undisturbed habitats derived from arid scrub, tropical deciduous forests, and less frequently semievergreen forests[
410
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 76
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1989
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. This volume contains a monograph of the genus Zapoteca (Calliandra) amongst other things.
].

Properties

Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitShrub
Height5.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



A very variable species, it is often divided into 6 subspecies[
410
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 76
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1989
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. This volume contains a monograph of the genus Zapoteca (Calliandra) amongst other things.
].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

All members of this genus have extensive root systems and are useful for binding the soil[
1309
Title
The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation
Publication
 
Author
Allen O.N.; Allen E.K.
Publisher
University of Wisconsin
Year
1981
ISBN
0-333-32221-5
Description
An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus.
].

Other Uses

The wood is heavy, strong and close-grained[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. It is used for carpentry[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-04. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Calliandra+formosa>

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