Fabaceae
Parkinsonia

Parkinsonia aculeata L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 375 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico to N. Argentina, Caribbean. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used to treat unspecified medicinal disorders, as animal food, a medicine and invertebrate food, has environmental uses and for fuel and food.

Descriptions

Leguminosae, R.K. Brummitt, A.C. Chikuni, J.M. Lock and R.M. Polhill. Flora Zambesiaca 3:2. 2007

Morphology General Habit
Shrub or small tree up to 8(13) m high.
Morphology Stem
Stems subglabrous or shortly appressed-pubescent when young, armed with short spines derived from modification of the leaf rachis or sometimes stipules as well.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves with 1–2(3) pairs of very long narrow pinnae inserted very close together near the base of the spinescent rachis, so looking like 2 or 4(6) simple pinnate leaves borne on a short spine; spines (rachis) 0.2–1.7 cm long; pinnae up to 40 cm long, their rachis broadly winged and so appearing flattened, up to 2.5 mm broad; leaflets up to 6(9) × 2(3) mm, oblong or oblanceolate, opposite or alternate, up to 80 along each margin of the rachis, or sometimes absent or caducous; stipules often spinescent like the rachis.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in fairly lax racemes up to 20 cm long; bracts up to 2 mm long, caducous; pedicels 7–16 mm long excluding the elongate lower part of the hypanthium.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle forming a narrow disc about 1 mm broad and an elongate lower part up to 3(4) mm long, shorter than the pedicel proper.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5–7 mm long, oblong, narrowly imbricate, becoming reflexed in full flower, with few short hairs or subglabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 8–13 mm long, the standard with a distinct claw, all yellow.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4–9 mm long; anthers 1.3–2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary clothed with longish white hairs, glabrescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods (2)3–12(15) × 0.5–0.8 cm, linear, compressed, usually ± straight, constricted between the seeds, glabrous, light grey-brown; seeds up to 8 but commonly only 1–4 developing, c.9 × 6 × 2.5 mm, elliptic-oblong, light brown with dark markings.
[FZ]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Conservation
Least concern.
Distribution
Native and cultivated in Colombia.
Ecology
Alt. 0 - 2000 m.
[UPB]

Caesalpiniaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit
An exotic shrub or small tree, 10–15 ft. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Fairly conspicuous yellow flowers
Note
Planted in native towns throughout the Sudan and elsewhere in dry localities
Distribution
Native of tropical America.}
[FWTA]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Evergreen shrub or small tree up to 6 m high, with slender often pendulous branches
Morphology Leaves
Petiole and leaf-rhachis very short, produced into a straight well-developed spine, with 1–3 pairs of long flattened pinnae-rhachides; leaflets many, opposite to alternate, oblong-elliptic to obovate, 2–7 x 1–2.5 mm, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes lax, up to 20 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 6–7 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals yellow, ovate-rhombic, 8–12 x 6–8 mm; upper one marked red, with more rounded blade and longer claw
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod constricted into oblong or elliptic segments, pointed or beaked, c. 3–15 x 0.6–0.8 cm; valves coriaceous, diagonally striate, eventually separating along upper suture
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds oblong-ellipsoid, 7.5–10 x 3.5–4 mm, brownish, sometimes mottled.
Distribution
Cultivated at least in N1, C1, S1, S2 and S3, and sometimes naturalised native of tropical and subtropical America.
Vernacular
Geed walaayo (Somali); Jerusalem thorn (English).
[FSOM]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa y cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 2000 m.; Andes, Islas Caribeñas, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Arbusto, árbol
Conservation
Preocupación Menor
[CPLC]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–2000 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Boyacá, Casanare, Cundinamarca, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Nariño, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Shrub, Tree.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Espinillo, Mapuja, Palo de rayo, Palo verde mexicano, Retaima, Retama, Retamo, Sauce, Sauce guajiro, Turco, Yaba, Yabo, Yayo
[UPFC]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/82889698/149004518

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Shrub/Tree
Vernacular
Acacia, Acacia De Los Masones, Aroma Extranjera, Bayahonda Blanca, Cambron, Capinillo, Cateping, Cina-cina, Genet Epineux, Jerusalem Thorn, Junco, Lluvia De Oro, Madame Naiz, Madame Yass, Mexican Palo Verde, Mulvakai, Pino Japones, Quatre Epingles, Retama
[ILDIS]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
espino, paloverde, retama, retamo, retamo calentano, retamo espinoso, sauce, sauce espino, sauce espinoso, sauce guajiro, sulfatillo, yaba, yabo, yayo
[UNAL]

Uses

Use Materials
Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Materials Unspecified Materials Chemicals
Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Medicinal (Instituto Humboldt 2014).
[UPB]

Use
Used for ornament, shade and wind-breaks
[FSOM]

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Fuel
Used for fuels.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Invertebrate Food
Used as invertebrate food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Use
Environmental, Fibre, Food and Drink, Forage, Medicine, Wood
[ILDIS]

Common Names

English
Jerusalem Thorn
Spanish
Retamo, yabo, yaba, yayo, sauce, retama, sauce guajiro, mapuja, palo de rayo, palo verde mexicano, espinillo, turco, retaima.

Sources

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Legumes of the World Online

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/