Lysiloma watsonii

Common Name: Littleleaf False Tamarind, Featherbush
Oˊodham Name: [unknown]
Group: Shrubs － Chaparral, Desert (upper)

Description

Lysiloma watsonii is a conspicuous shrub or small tree of the chaparral biome and upper desert biome. This species is abundantly covered with pinnately compound leaves that give it a soft appearance and the common name featherbush. The reddish stems have relatively sparse but long, fine white hairs. In summer, the species produces a mass of small, round white flowers that look like cotton balls. Flowers are followed by long flat fruit, or pods containing hard, black seeds. In the US, it grows only in Pima County, Arizona, on well-drained hillsides and mountainsides between 3500 and 5500 feet elevation.

Classification

Kingdom Plantae － Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta － Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta － Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta － Flowering plants

Class Magnoliopsida － Dicotyledons

Subclass Rosidae

Order Fabales

Family Fabaceae － Pea family

Genus Lysiloma Benth. － false tamarind

Species Lysiloma watsonii Rose － littleleaf false tamarind

More Information

USDA Plant Profile and Map