Vachellia farnesiana
Vachellia cornigera
huisache, needle bush, sweet acacia
bullhorn acacia, bullhorn wattle
usually slightly flexuous, usually glabrous, not glutinous; short shoots present.
not flexuous, puberulent, not glutinous; short shoots absent.
7–65 mm;
stipular spines terete, straight, 2–35(–55) × 0.5–1.4 mm near base;
petiole (3–)6–12(–17) mm, usually sparsely to densely pubescent, hairs erect;
petiolar gland 1, usually medial on petiole, sessile or short-stalked, circular to slightly elongated, 0.2–1 mm, apex depressed;
rachis 10–55 mm;
pinnae 2–6(or 7) pairs, 6–33 mm;
leaflets 8–19 pairs per pinna, blades flat, oblong, 1.6–6.3 × 0.5–1.7 mm, base oblique and obtuse, apex broadly acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous, glabrate, or pubescent abaxially, glabrous adaxially.
40–160 mm;
stipular spines inflated and terete to slightly flattened, straight to slightly reflexed near apex, 30–100 × 4–10 mm near base;
petiole 5–20 mm, usually puberulent;
petiolar glands 1(or 2), medial to distal on petiole, sessile, elongated, 1–7 narrowing to 1–4 mm distally, canoe-shaped;
rachis 30–150 mm;
pinnae 3–14 pairs, 30–70 mm;
leaflets 15–40 pairs per pinna, blades flat, oblong, 4–11 × 1.3–2.7 mm, base oblique and obtuse, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrous;
Beltian bodies present.
globose heads, densely flowered, 6–10 mm diam., solitary or clusters of 2–5 on short shoots;
involucre at base of head (not obvious).
cylindrical spikes, densely flowered, narrowing slightly toward blunt apex, 20–35 × 8–11 mm, solitary or clusters of 2–4 in axil of small, stipular spines on short, usually leafless, axillary branches;
involucre at base of peduncle.
12–36(–45) mm.
5–15 mm.
bright yellow;
calyx 1.1–1.8 mm, glabrous;
corolla 1.9–2.8 mm, glabrous;
filaments yellow, 3.5–5.5 mm.
pale yellow;
calyx 0.9–1.4 mm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent;
corolla 1–1.5 mm, glabrous;
filaments yellow, 1.3–2.3 mm.
oblong, nearly terete or elliptic in cross section, 30–170 × 9–18 mm, constricted or not between seeds.
oblong, nearly terete in cross section, 50–90 × 13–18 mm, not constricted between seeds, apex narrowing to spinelike beak, 20–50 mm.
biseriate, uniseriate, or irregularly arranged.
biseriate.
Vachellia farnesiana
Vachellia cornigera
Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).
Vachellia farnesiana is the most widespread and morphologically variable species in the genus. Segregate species, subspecies, varieties, and forms have been recognized based on habit, leaflet shape, stem and leaflet pubescence, number of pinna pairs, legume size and shape, and seed position.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
In the flora area, Vachellia cornigera is found in Lee and Pinellas counties.
Although the spines of Vachellia cornigera are commonly inhabited by ants in Central America and Mexico, this association has not been observed in material introduced into Florida.
Vachellia sphaerocephala (Schlechtendal & Chamisso) Seigler & Ebinger has been reported as an escape from cultivation in Collier and Miami-Dade counties, Florida (R. P. Wunderlin and B. F. Hansen 2000+, vol. 3). It is similar to V. cornigera but has leaflets with only the midvein obvious below, and with subglobose inflorescences less than two times longer than wide. In contrast, V. cornigera has leaflets with two to three major veins from the base and obvious lateral veins, and with inflorescences more than three times longer than wide.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Shrubs, to 1.5 m, prostrate to ascending; leaflet blades 1.6–3 mm. | var. pinetorum |
1. Shrubs or trees, to 8 m, erect; leaflet blades 3–6.3 mm. | → 2 |
2. Legumes 30–90 mm; seeds biseriate or irregularly arranged. | var. farnesiana |
2. Legumes 100–170 mm; seeds uniseriate. | var. minuta |
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
