Common name: Thorny Poinciana, Wait-a-while
Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alston APNI* 
Description: Climber or shrub, branchlets tomentose to pubescent, prickles 0.5–5 mm long.
Leaves 7–40 cm long, leaf rachis prickly; pinnae 4–10 pairs, 2.5–7.5 cm long; pinnules 5–12 pairs, mostly oblong, 7–18 mm long, 2–6 mm wide, apex obtuse, both surfaces finely pubescent, discolorous; petiole 30–80 mm long; stipules ovate, 4–20 mm long.
Flowers in axillary or terminal racemes, 15–25 cm long; pedicels 15–30 mm long. Sepals mostly shorter than petals. Petals c. 10 mm long, yellow. Filaments 10–15 mm long.
Pod oblong, flat, 6–10 cm long, c. 25 mm wide, pubescent, dehiscent; seeds 4–9, globose to ellipsoid.
Flowering: winter.
Distribution and occurrence: Naturalized, forming stands along roadsides and in disturbed rainforest; north from Wollongong district. Native of SE Asia.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC
Other Australian states: *Qld
Text by B. Wiecek & S. McCune
Taxon concept: A.S. George (1998)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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