Shrubs, profusely branched. Stems prostrate, to 30 cm, usu­ally strigose, glabrescent; from thick, woody rhizome. Leaves: stipules triangular-lanceolate, to 2–3 mm; pinnae 1 pair; leaf­lets (8 or)10–22, blades linear to linear-lanceolate, 2–4 × 0.8–1 mm, margins ciliate, surfaces strigose to glabrate abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Peduncles solitary, axillary, 0.9–2.6 cm. Heads (5 or) 6–8-flowered, loose, ± hemispheric. Flowers sessile; calyx 1–1.5 mm, sparsely strigose, at least near apex; corolla 4–4.5 mm, usually glabrous, rarely sparsely hairy apically; filaments 25, light yellow, 10–11 mm; style 2–3 mm longer than filaments. Legumes light brown or light green, oblanceolate, 2.2–3.7 × 0.5–0.6 cm, thinly papery, translucent, pubescent. Seeds 1–3, obovoid, 4 × 2.5–3 mm.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting summer.
Habitat: Rocky slopes, ledges, on limestone or igneous soils, in Yucca scrub and desert grassland, below pine and oak belts.
Elevation: 600–1500 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Tex., Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila).

Discussion

Calliandra iselyi is known from the Big Bend area in Texas and from Chihuahua and Coahuila. It appears to be uncommon and local.

Calliandra iselyi appears to be closely related to, and very likely derived from, C. eriophylla. These species can be distinguished by the shorter stature, consistent 1-paired leaves, longer peduncles, essentially glabrous flowers with shorter filaments, and the smaller, trans­lucent, thin-textured, light-colored legumes of C. iselyi. Calliandra eriophylla usually are taller shrubs, with 1–3(or 4)-paired leaves, shorter peduncles, flowers with a variable vesture and longer filaments, and usually larger, not translucent, thicker, dark brown legumes.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.