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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. (0–100 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.)

Source FNA vol. 11.
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)
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