Trees, to 6(–7) m, unarmed. Stems, branches, and twigs densely covered with conspi­cuous lenticels, glabrescent; short shoots absent. Leaves: stipules to 1 mm, not spiny, caducous, hard, triangular-subulate, glabrous; petiole 0.4–1.5(–2) cm, shorter than rachis, subglabrous; pinnae 2(or 4), rachis 8–13 mm; leaflets 2 per pinna, blades obovate to oblanceolate-elliptic, 3–8.5(–9) × 1.5–5(–7) cm, base oblique, margins entire, usually revolute, apex rounded with a very small mucro, brochidodromous venation conspicuous on both surfaces, main vein subcentral, surfaces glabrous. Peduncles: primary peduncle flattened, axis to 7 cm, glabrescent, secondary peduncles (2.5–)4.5–6 cm, glabrous; bract absent. Heads on secondary peduncles 15–30-flowered, sometimes elongated. Bracteoles triangular, 0.8 mm, puberulous abaxially. Flowers: calyx campanulate or tubular, 1.5–2 mm, lobes 0.5 mm, glabrescent; corolla campanulate or funnelform, to 5.5 mm, lobes 4 or 5; stamens white, dirty cream, or pink, tube to 3–3.5 mm; ovary 1–1.5 mm, glabrous, stipe to 1.5 mm. Legumes slightly recurved to 1-coiled (especially at dehiscence), slightly constricted between seeds, 8–20 × 1–1.5 cm, margin not evident, base attenuate, apex cuspidate without beak, glabrous, veins faint; without stipe. Seeds 6–12, usually not pendulous, 6–9 × 5–6 mm; aril red, covering proximal 1/3 of seed. 2n = 26.

Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Coastal thickets.
Elevation: 0–20 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Loading map...

Fla., West Indies (Bahamas, Cuba, Turks and Caicos Islands), Central America (Belize).

Discussion

Pithecellobium keyense is known from southern Florida in Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties where it is restricted to coastal areas. The species is usually five-merous, but some corollas are four-lobed. Of the three North American Pithecellobium species, P. keyense has the fewest stamens.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.