Shrubs or trees, to 8 m, armed. Stems, branches, and twigs with few lenticels, glabrous; short shoots absent or inconspicuous and few. Leaves: stip­ules to 10(–15) mm, spiny (at least on some branches); petiole to 1–2.5 cm, longer than rachis, glabrous; pin­nae 2, rachis 5–10(–16) mm; leaflets 2 per pinna, blades asymmetric-oblong or obovate- to ovate-elliptic, 1.7–2.4(–4.5) × 1.3–2.5(–3.5) cm, base oblique, margins entire, flat, apex rounded, obtuse, or rarely slightly emar­ginate, brochidodromous venation more conspicuous abax­ially, main vein submarginal, surfaces glabrous, abaxially rarely glabrescent. Peduncles: primary peduncle not flattened, axis to 8 cm, subglabrous, sec­ondary peduncles 1.8–3 cm, usually glabrous; glan­dular bract present at base, inconspicuous. Heads 8–25(–35)-flowered, sometimes elongated. Bracteoles triangular, to 1.2 mm, puberulous abaxially. Flowers: calyx campanulate, 1–1.2 mm, lobes 0.5 mm, pubescent; corolla campanulate, 5 mm, lobes 5 or 6, pubescent; stamens white or dirty cream, tube to 5.5 mm; ovary 2.5 mm, glabrous, stipe 2.5 mm. Legumes reddish or maroon, recurved to coiled several times (especially at dehiscence), constricted between seeds, 5–10(–15) × 1–1.5 cm, base attenuate, margin thickened, apex acute, glabrous, veins irregular, reticulate; stipe 0–5 mm. Seeds 5–8, 6–7 × 5–8 mm; aril white, covering proximal 1/3 of seed; exposed seeds pendulous. 2n = 26.

Phenology: Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat: Shrublands, sand ridges, roadsides.
Elevation: 0–50 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Fla., Mexico (Guerrero, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Yucatán), West Indies, South America (Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Surinam, Venezuela), introduced in Africa.

Discussion

Pithecellobium unguis-cati is widespread in the Caribbean, Yucatán Peninsula, and in southwestern Mexico. Its fruits open more widely than those of P. dulce and P. keyense, exposing the inside of the fruit wall.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.