Common name: Jerusalem Thorn, Mexican Palo Verde
Parkinsonia aculeata L. APNI* Description: Shrub or tree to 10 m high; branches ± pendent, glabrescent.
Leaves bipinnate with 1–4 pairs of pinnae but often ± sessile with a reduced rachis present as a spine 3–20 mm long (and the leaves appearing pinnate); secondary rachis 15–30 cm long, 2–3 mm wide; pinnules 10–40 pairs, ± oblong, 2–7 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, often caducous; stipules spinose, 3–15 mm long, often caducous.
Racemes 5–20 cm long; pedicels 5–20 mm long. Sepals 4–7 mm long, reddish-yellow. Petals 8–12 mm long; standard yellowish, becoming reddish; wings and keel yellow. Filaments c. 6 mm long.
Pod fusiform, mostly 5–10 cm long, 5–6 mm diam.; seeds 2–8, c. 9 mm long.
Flowering: summer to early autumn.
Distribution and occurrence: Cultivated, occasionally naturalized in inland districts. Native of C Amer.
NSW subdivisions: *NWP, *NFWP
Other Australian states: *Qld *W.A. *S.A. *N.T.
Text by B. Wiecek
Taxon concept: J.H. Ross (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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