Trees, to 20 m, single trunk to 1 m diam. Leaves semi­deciduous, pinnae 6–10; stip­ules persistent, pale yellowish green, foliaceous, obovate-ovate, 9–22 × 5–14 mm, base cuneate-flabellate, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous; petiole yellowish brown to grayish brown, 1.6–4 cm, glabrous; petiolar nectary medial to distal of first pinnae, yellowish brown to grayish brown, sauceriform, 0.3 × 1 mm; rachis yellowish brown to grayish brown, 2.4–9 cm, glabrous; rachilla opposite to subopposite, 2.8–6.5 cm, glabrous; pulvinules 1–2.2 mm; leaflets 6–12 per pinna, blade elliptic to obovate, 12–35 × 7–23 mm, papery, base obliquely obtuse, apex obtuse to retuse, venation palmate-pinnate, midvein slightly excentric, apex obtuse, surfaces subappressed-pilose to glabrescent, margins glabrous. Peduncles yellowish brown to yellowish green, 2.5–6.6 cm, glabrous. Inflorescences 28–48-flowered, racemes, globose-capitate; bracts absent. Pedicels 0.6–1.2 mm, puberulent. Flowers: calyx white to greenish white, 2.2–3.1 × 1.2–1.8 mm, glabrous except lobes; lobes cucullate, 0.4–1.1 mm, apex acute, puberulent; corolla white to greenish white, infundibular-tubular, 4.4–6.2 × 1.5–2.2 mm, glabrous except lobes; lobes cucullate, 1.2–2 mm, apex acute, puberulent; stamens 14–20, white to pale greenish white, 12–18 mm, connate 2.2–5.4 mm; ovary subsessile. Legumes blackish brown to reddish black, straight, 8–15 × 2.3–3.9 cm, indehiscent, membranous, base attenuate to cuneate, apex rounded to emarginate, surfaces glabrous; stipe 1.3–3.8 cm. Seeds dark brown to brownish black, oblong to ellipsoid, 5.2–8 × 2.9–4 mm; pleurogram elliptic, complete. 2n = 26.

Phenology: Flowering Mar–Jun.
Habitat: Limestone coppice thickets, tropical needleleaf forests.
Elevation: 0–10 m.

Distribution

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Introduced; Limestone coppice thickets, tropical needleleaf forests, Fla., West Indies (Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola), introduced also in Puerto Rico.

Discussion

Lysiloma sabicu is an important timber tree in the Bahamas and Cuba. The lustrous chestnut-brown, dark-striped coppery heartwood is highly valued for fine furniture and paneling. The sapwood is thin, white, and sharply demarcated from the heartwood (S. J. Record and C. D. Mell 1924). In the flora area, L. sabicu is known only from Miami-Dade County.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.