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carreto, raintree

Habit Trees to 30 m; branches and twigs densely pubescent to glabrescent; resting buds densely pubescent.
Leaves

stipules early caducous, 5–6 mm, strigulose;

petiole 4–8 cm, eglandular, strigulose;

pinnae 4.5–9.5(–18) cm, with gland between each pair;

leaflet blades oblique-oblong to obovate, 15–35(–45) × 9–20 mm, base acute, apex rounded, mucronate, venation brochidodromous, main vein central;

terminal pinna blades rhombic-elliptic, to 55 × 35 mm, apex rounded or acute;

nectaries between each pair of pinnae and leaflets.

Inflorescences

terminal or axillary, densely strigulose;

bracts 3 or 4, deltate, (5–)7 mm, densely strigulose;

bract 5 mm, clavate, strigulose.

Peduncles

5–7 cm, densely strigulose.

Flowers

peripheral flowers pedicellate, pedicels 2–3 mm, strigulose;

calyx 6 mm, densely strigulose;

corolla campanulate, 10–12 mm;

stamens white proximally, pink distally, staminal tube to 8 mm, ovary 4 mm;

central flowers: calyx 10 mm, lobes 8;

corolla 13–15 mm, lobes 5;

staminal tube 12 mm, ovary 4 mm.

Legumes

15–20 × 1.5–2.3 cm, base rounded, margins entire, apex rounded with slightly curved beak to 8 mm, valves leathery, smooth or slightly rough.

Samanea saman

Phenology Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat introduced also in tropical and subtropical areas nearly worldwide..
Elevation 0–20 m. [0–70 ft.]
Distribution
from FNA
FL; Central America; South America [Introduced in North America; introduced also in tropical and subtropical areas nearly worldwide]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Samanea saman is introduced in the paleotropics as an ornamental, timber, and forage tree. The species is considered invasive in Fiji and Vanuatu; elsewhere in the Pacific, it is naturalized but rarely considered problematic.

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

Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (Mimosoid clade) > Samanea
Synonyms Mimosa saman, Albizia nicoyana, A. saman, Pithecellobium saman
Name authority (Jacquin) Merrill: J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 6: 47. (1916)
Source FNA vol. 11.
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