Calliandra tweedii Bentham

Leguminosae

Synonyms

• Inga pulcherrima Sweet (1827, nom. nud.)
• Feuilleea tweedii Kuntze (1891)
• Anneslia tweediei (Bentham) Lindman (1898)
• Mimosa yaguaronensis Larrañaga (1922)

Common names:

Red Tassel Flower, Powderpuff Tree

Description:

Shrub up to 3 m high, hairy, with conspicuous red flowers. Foliage semi-deciduous to persistent, flowers from end spring to early autumn.

Distribution:

Native of Southwest Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Northeast Argentina. Below 800 masl. Adapted to temperate and tropical areas of both hemispheres.

Habitat:

Grows in forests along major rivers and humid places. Prefers well drained soils, moist, with high organic matter content.

Use:

Has good forage potential for agroforestry systems in view of rapid growth, dense foliage, deep rooting system, good nodulation capacity; protein content up 22 % dry weight; considered of low quality if compared with Leucaena; no trials carried out.

Main References:

Barneby, (1998); Dommergues et al. (1998); Hoc (1992); Izaguirre & Beyhaut (in press); NRC, 1983b; Thulin et al. (1981)