Calliandra calothyrsus

rdf:langString Calliandra calothyrsus

rdf:langString buds and open flowers of Calliandra calothyrsus

rdf:langString * Calliandra houstoniana var. calothyrsus ( Barneby)

rdf:langString Calliandra calothyrsus

rdf:langString Calliandra calothyrsus is a small leguminous tree or large shrub in the family Fabaceae. It is native to the tropics of Central America where its typical habitat is wet tropical forests or seasonally dry forests with a dry season of four to seven months, when it may become deciduous. This tree grows to about 6 m (20 ft) and has pinnate compound leaves and flowers with a boss of prominent reddish-purple stamens. It is not very drought-tolerant and the above-ground parts are short-lived but the roots regularly resprout. It is a multipurpose legume tree that can improve the soil by fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere. It is easily grown from seed; growth is slow at first but speeds up after the first year. It is used for reforestation, provides soil stabilisation on sloping sites, and provides useful high quality fodder for livestock. It can be regularly coppiced to provide firewood. Because of these features, it has been planted in other parts of the tropics, but care has to be taken that it does not become an invasive species.