Pithecellobium unguis-cati
(L.) Benth.
Fabaceae
Feuilleea unguis-cati (L.) Kuntze
Inga microphylla Humb., Bonpl. ex Willd.
Inga rosea (Vahl) Steudel ex DC.
Inga unguis-cati (L.) Willd.
Mimosa rosea Vahl
Mimosa unguis-cati L.
Pithecellobium guaricense Pittier
Pithecellobium larensis L.Cárdenas
Pithecellobium microchlamys Pittier
Pithecellobium microphyllum Benth.
Pithecellobium oblongum Benth.
Pithecellobium pulchellum Pittier
Zygia unguis-cati (L.) Sudw.
Common Name: Cat's Claw
General Information
Pithecellobium unguis-cati is a shrub or small tree, usually with multiple stems arising from or below ground level[
]. The plant can be spineless or armed with spines about 5mm long[
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.
]. It can grow up to 8 metres tall, but is more commonly about 3 metres[
356- Title
- The Useful and Ornamental Plants of Trinidad and Tobago.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Williams. R. O. & Williams. R. O. Jnr.
- Publisher
- Self Published in Trinidad and Tobago.
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Terse details of a wide range of plants both native and introduced to Trinidad and Tobago. Gives a brief description of the plant and some of its local uses.
].
The edible fruit is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use. The plant is sometimes cultivated as living fence in Florida and in tropical Africa[
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
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.
Range
Northern S. America - Colombia, Guyana and Venezuela, north to the West Indies and through Central America to Mexico.
Habitat
Thickets on arid limestone, forming open woodland on the edges of salt marshes[
426- Title
- Flowering Plants of Jamaica
- Publication
-
- Author
- Adams. C.D.
- Publisher
- University of the West Indies; Jamaica.
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A terse treatment of the flowering plants of Jamaica, with a botanical description of each plant, notes on habitat etc.
]. Because of reduced competition from trees, it tends to grow on sand dunes, coastal strands and keys, and on shallow rocky soils, sometimes forming thickets[
].
Properties
| Weed Potential | Yes |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Shrub |
| Height | 4.00 m |
| Pollinators | Bees |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
With few exceptions, the plant grows in areas receiving less than 1,000 mm of annual precipitation[
].
Prefers a sunny position and a well-drained soil[
]. All soil textures appear to be tolerated[
]. The plant appears to tolerate salt spray and salty groundwater[
].
The plant has become naturalized in parts of Florida and has the potential to become a weed[
].
Produces a taproot and abundant lateral and fine roots[
].
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[
755- Title
- Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
].
Edible Uses
Fruits[
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.
]. Sometimes consumed as food[
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.
]. The arils (fleshy parts surrounding the seeds) are eaten[
483- Title
- Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. Vol. 59.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Harvard University; Boston, Mass.
- Year
- 1978
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A botanical magazine, it contains an Ethnoflora of Chokoloskee Island, Florida. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
Medicinal
The bark is said to be febrifuge[
348- Title
- Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
- Publication
-
- Author
- DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
- Website
- http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Museum
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
]. A decoction is used as a wash[
348- Title
- Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
- Publication
-
- Author
- DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
- Website
- http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Museum
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].
Agroforestry Uses:
A useful hedge plant, since it is not eaten by livestock[
356- Title
- The Useful and Ornamental Plants of Trinidad and Tobago.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Williams. R. O. & Williams. R. O. Jnr.
- Publisher
- Self Published in Trinidad and Tobago.
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Terse details of a wide range of plants both native and introduced to Trinidad and Tobago. Gives a brief description of the plant and some of its local uses.
,
426- Title
- Flowering Plants of Jamaica
- Publication
-
- Author
- Adams. C.D.
- Publisher
- University of the West Indies; Jamaica.
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A terse treatment of the flowering plants of Jamaica, with a botanical description of each plant, notes on habitat etc.
].
Other Uses
The seeds are used in ornamental seed work[
356- Title
- The Useful and Ornamental Plants of Trinidad and Tobago.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Williams. R. O. & Williams. R. O. Jnr.
- Publisher
- Self Published in Trinidad and Tobago.
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Terse details of a wide range of plants both native and introduced to Trinidad and Tobago. Gives a brief description of the plant and some of its local uses.
].
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
