Lysiloma latisiliquum (L.) Benth.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

S. W. Gale, & Pennington, T. (2004). Lysiloma (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) in Mesoamerica. Kew Bulletin, 59(3), 453-467. doi:10.2307/4110952

Type

American Islands, Plumier, Cat. Pl. Amer. 1703, 17, cum Pl. am. fasc. primus (1755), t. 6, ed. Burman.

Morphology General Habit

Small to medium sized tree 4 - 20 m tall with a spreading crown

Morphology General Bark

Bark grey to grey-brown, smooth or with fine, shallow fissures

Morphology Trunk Slash

Slash/sapwood pinkish cream, fibrous, with transparent resinous exudate

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules 3 - 8(- 16) mm long, ovate with an acute apex, asymmetric and membranous, occasionally conspicuous and clustered at apex of flowering shoots, rarely triangular or cordate, caducous

Morphology Leaves

Leaves (4.6 -)5.9 - 9.5(- 10.6) cm long; petioles (1.5 -)2.1 - 3(- 3.9) cm long, bearing an elliptic to discoid gland, up to 1.5 mm wide and 0.8 mm tall, glabrous, within 1.5 cm of the apex; rachis (2.8 -)3.4 - 5.2(- 7.2) cm long, glabrous or occasionally puberulent along the adaxial ridges, with 0 - 1(- 2) small domed or cylindrical glands with deep circular pores at the base of the terminal pinna pair(s); pinnae 3 - 5 pairs per leaf, pinna rachis glabrous or very weakly puberulent

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets (12 -) 19 - 26(- 33) pairs per pinna, (7 -)8.5 - 13(- 15) mm long, (1.8 -)2.5 - 4.5 mm wide, oblong or occasionally ovate, sometimes falcate, apex mucronate, rarely obtuse, base weakly asymmetric, the midrib central, the secondary veins often visible on the abaxial surface, usually puberulent with a diffuse cover of short appressed hairs, widely spaced along the pinna rachis with 2.5 - 5 mm separating adjacent leaflet petiolules

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences solitary or in fascicles of 2 - 4, simple, axillary and occasionally at leafless nodes at shoot apex, capitulum a globose head, the floral axis 1 - 2 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white, sessile; floral bracteoles spathulate, apex pubescent, 1 - 2 mm long, persistent; calyx glabrous except for the weakly pubescent lobes, up to 1.5 mm long, the corolla ± twice as long as the calyx, the lobes barbate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods non-craspedial (the valves not detaching from the sutural ridges), blackish, oblong to elliptic, margins sinuate, (7 -)10 - 13.8(- 16.2) cm long, 1.9 - 3.4(- 4.5) cm wide, rarely twisted, base acute, apex acute or rostrate; exocarp thin chartaceous, scaling into numerous tiny fragments up to 2 mm in diameter; peduncles slender, 0.8 - 1.2 mm diameter, 1.5 - 3(- 4.2) cm long; stipe (1.6 -)2 - 4.4 cm long, with 1 - 3 pods per capitulum.

Vernacular

Salaam (Belize), Tzalam (Mexico), Wild Tubroos (Belize).

Distribution

Primarily a Caribbean species, Lysiloma latisiliqua is represented on the mainland in the extreme southern United States (Florida), the Mexican Yucatan, Belize and eastern Guatemala.

Ecology

Growing from sea level up to 160 m altitude, Lysiloma latisiliqua is a species of the lowlands, predominantly found fringing the coast in moist evergreen forest and often directly adjoining mangrove. It grows on coastal dunes and limestone soils and further inland becomes a component of dry deciduous forest. Common associates include Beucarnea, Bursera, Senna, Metopium, Piscidia and Vitex species.

Note

Lysiloma latisiliqua has the largest leaflets and the fewest pinnae per leaf of the four Central American Lysiloma species. Its pods are borne on long pendulous stipes and it is one of only two Lysiloma species (the other being L. sabicu) whose fruits are fully indehiscent. Two distinct subspecies from Cuba were published under this species epithet (Barreto & Yakovlev 1987), which have been reduced to varietal status in a more recent treatment (Bassler 1998). With only the homotypic variety (L. latisiliqua var. latisiliqua) having a continental distribution, the concept is here considered only to specific level. The name L. latisiliqua (and its basionym Mimosa latisiliqua L.) has been the focus of nomenclatural debate with its typification being disputed; the matter was resolved by de Wit (1975) who demonstrated that the Linnean concept applies to Lysiloma and not to Leucaena as Gillis & Stearn (1974) had argued.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Tree

Vernacular

Bacona Morada, Dormido, Jigue, Sabicu, Sabicu Amarillo, Salam, Salem, Singing Beans, Soplillo, Tengue, Tzalam, Wild Tamarind, Zapatero

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/62020988/149016840

Conservation

LC - least concern