Desmanthus virgatus
| Desmanthus virgatus | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Cultivated | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Desmanthus |
| Species: | D. virgatus |
| Binomial name | |
|
Desmanthus virgatus (L.) Willd. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Acacia angustisiliqua |
|
Acacia angustisiliqua
Acacia virgata
Acuan depressa
Acuan depressum
Acuan texanum
Acuan tracyi
Acuan virgatum
Desmanthus depressus
Desmanthus pratorum
Desmanthus strictus
Desmanthus tenellus
Mimosa angustisiliqua
Mimosa depressa
Mimosa virgata L.
Desmanthus virgatus is a species of flowering plant in the legume family that is known by many common names, including wild tantan, prostrate bundleflower, dwarf koa, desmanto, acacia courant, acacia savane, pompon blank,adormidera, brusca prieta, frijolillo, ground tamarind, guajillo, guashillo, huarangillo, langalet, petit acacia, petit cassie, petit mimosa, virgate mimosa, and slender mimosa, as well as simply desmanthus. It is native to the American tropics and subtropics but is present elsewhere as an introduced species. In some areas it is cultivated as a fodder and forage crop.
This plant is a woody perennial herb or shrub growing up to 1.5, 2, or even 3 meters tall. Its herbage dies back to the woody taproot during dry conditions and sprouts up again when adequate moisture is available. One plant can grow up to 50 stems, becoming quite robust. The older stems are brown to red in color and are shiny and hairless. The leaves are bipinnate, divided into a few pairs of leaflets which are each subdivided into smaller leaflets that measure up to 7 to 9 millimeters long. The inflorescence is a head of up to 11 to 22 flowers. The plant bears perfect, male, and sterile flowers. The flowers are white to yellowish. A short stalk bears up to 11 legume fruit pods which are linear in shape, dark red to blackish in color, and up to 8.5 or 9 centimeters long. They dehisce along each edge to release up to 26 to 30 seeds each. Flowers and fruits are produced year-round in tropical locales with enough water. Outside the tropics it reproduces mainly in spring and summer.
This plant grows in open habitat types. It easily colonizes disturbed habitat such as roadsides and quarries. It grows in clay and sandy soil types. It is most common at lower altitudes. Its habit of dying back to the root crown helps it to withstand drought, frost, fire, and grazing. It resprouts when conditions are less harsh. It cannot tolerate shade, however, and it does not thrive under a tree canopy.
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Wikipedia