Flora of North America species comparison

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Leucaena leucocephala

Leucaena pulverulenta

koa haole, lead tree, white leadtree

great leadtree
Habit Shrubs or trees 3–15(–20) m, twigs and petioles puberulent. Shrubs or trees 5–18(–20) m, new growth whitish puberulent.
Leaves

petiole 2–3 cm;

gland saucer-shaped;

pinnae 4–8 pairs;

rachis 9–11 cm;

leaflets 26–32, rachilla 7–8 cm, blade oblong, 8–14 × 2–4.5 mm.

petiole 5 cm;

gland depressed-elliptic;

pinnae 10–20 pairs;

rachis 11–17 cm;

leaflets 40–60(–140), rachilla 5–6 cm, blade oblong, 4–5 × 1 mm.
Inflorescences

fascicled in distal axils, 1–2 cm diam.;

bracts inconspicuous.

fascicled in distal axils, 1–2 cm diam.;

bracts inconspicuous.
Peduncles

1–2.5 cm, pubescent.

2.5–3.5 cm, densely pubescent.
Flowers

calyx tube strigose;

petals distinct, white, puberulent;

anthers sparsely hairy, tip rounded.

calyx tube densely pubescent;

petals connate basally, pale greenish white, pilose;

anthers glabrous, tip apiculate.
Legumes

green becoming red to brown, flat, compressed, 12–21 × 1.4–2 cm.

flat, oblong, 8–20 × 1–1.5 cm, membranous.
2n

= 104.

= 56.

Leucaena leucocephala

Leucaena pulverulenta
Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round. Flowering Feb–Jul, fruiting Aug–Nov.
Habitat introduced also in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide.. Coastal plains, roadsides, canal banks, waste ground.
Elevation 0–500 m. [0–1600 ft.] 0–100 m. [0–300 ft.]
Distribution
from FNA
FL; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in North America; introduced also in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Hidalgo, Nuevo León, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Veracruz)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Leucaena leucocephala is probably native in the New World tropics and is now pantropical as a weed. It is planted for food and animal forage and is used as firewood. Because it is cultivated in Arizona and California, it should be expected as a weed. Leucaena leucocephala is a self-compatible tetraploid.

C. E. Hughes (1998) recognized three subspecies in Leucaena leucocephala, two of which occur in North America: subsp. glabrata (Rose) Zárate (arborescent) and subsp. leucocephala (shrubby), with traits which are not determinable from herbarium specimens; their character states are otherwise overlapping.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Leucaena pulverulenta is cultivated in California but not escaped. The species is locally abundant and, apparently, native in southern Texas; it is cultivated, but not persistent, farther north.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 11. Treatment author: Neil A. Harriman†. FNA vol. 11. Treatment author: Neil A. Harriman†.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (Mimosoid clade) > Leucaena Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (Mimosoid clade) > Leucaena
Sibling taxa
L. pulverulenta, L. retusa
L. leucocephala, L. retusa
Synonyms Mimosa leucocephala Acacia pulverulenta
Name authority (Lamarck) de Wit: Taxon 10: 54. (1961) (Schlechtendal) Bentham: J. Bot. (Hooker) 4: 417. (1842)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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