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Mexican Mimosa

velvetpod Mimosa

Habit Shrubs, erect, 0.7–1.5 m, armed.
Stems

terete, tomentose or glabrescent;

prickles irregular along internodes, recurved or straight.

Leaves

stipules linear to subulate, 4–7 mm, tomentose;

petiole 0.6–1 cm;

primary rachis 2.5–7.5 cm;

pinnae 5–11 pairs;

leaflets 6–14 pairs, blades obliquely linear-lanceolate or lanceolate-oblong, 3–6 × 1–2.5 mm, margins sericeous, 1 or 2 eccentric veins prominent, apex acute, mucronulate, surfaces light green, sericeous abaxially, dark green, glaucous, sericeous or glabrous adaxially.

Inflorescences

50–150-flowered, axillary, spikes, solitary, in fascicles of 2 or 3, or aggregated in racemes, 20–50(–80) mm;

bracts linear-spatulate, 1/3–1/2 corolla length.

Peduncles

1–1.5(–2) cm.

Pedicels

0 mm.

Flowers

bisexual and staminate;

calyx campanulate, lobes 4 or 5, 1/2 corolla length;

corolla purple-pink, densely sericeous, lobes 4 or 5, 1/3–1/2 corolla length;

stamens 8 or 10, filaments distinct to bases, pink;

ovary sessile, tomentose;

style attenuate at apex;

stigma poriform.

Legumes

sessile, straight or curved, linear-oblong, 40–50 × 5–7 mm, constricted between seeds, valves with (2–)4–9 segments, margin unarmed or sparsely prickly, apex apiculate, faces tomentose.

Seeds

(2–)4–9, reddish brown, lenticular, 5 × 4 × 3 mm, testa smooth, fissural line 50%.

Mimosa distachya

Mimosa dysocarpa

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep; fruiting Sep.
Habitat Dry scrublands, open slopes, desert grasslands, steep rocky slopes with oaks, pines, and grasses.
Elevation 1200–2200 m. (3900–7200 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
Mexico; Arizona; West Indies (Cuba); South America (Colombia, Venezuela)
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Sonora, Zacatecas)
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 4 (1 in the flora).

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

Mimosa dysocarpa is known from Cochise, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, and Yavapai counties in Arizona, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, and Socorro counties in New Mexico, and Brewster, Jeff Davis, and Presidio counties in Texas.

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

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (Mimosoid clade) > Mimosa Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (Mimosoid clade) > Mimosa
Sibling taxa
M. biuncifera, M. borealis, M. dysocarpa, M. emoryana, M. grahamii, M. hystricina, M. latidens, M. malacophylla, M. microphylla, M. monclovensis, M. nuttallii, M. pigra, M. pudica, M. quadrivalvis, M. roemeriana, M. rupertiana, M. strigillosa, M. texana, M. turneri
M. biuncifera, M. borealis, M. distachya, M. emoryana, M. grahamii, M. hystricina, M. latidens, M. malacophylla, M. microphylla, M. monclovensis, M. nuttallii, M. pigra, M. pudica, M. quadrivalvis, M. roemeriana, M. rupertiana, M. strigillosa, M. texana, M. turneri
Subordinate taxa
M. distachya var. laxiflora
Synonyms M. dysocarpa var. wrightii, M. wrightii
Name authority Cavanilles: Icon. 3: 48, plate 295. 1795–1796 Bentham: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 62. (1852)
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