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Neltuma pallida

(Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) C.E. Hughes & G.P. Lewis (2022)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Genus: Neltuma

algaroba, keawe, kiawe, mesquite

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Trees 8–20 m tall, +/–with slender stipular spines 0.3–1(–1.7) cm long.

Stems: Stems woody.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound (pinnate). Alternate. Leaves with (1–)3–4 pairs of pinnae, each with 6–15 pairs of leaflets. Leaflets oblong to elliptic–oblong, 2.5–10 mm long, 1.4–4 mm wide. Apex mucronate or weakly acuminate. Base rounded, usually oblique. Surfaces pubescent, sometimes only along margins and on rachis, rachis with a small nectary gland below each pair of pinnae, with leaflets, with a nectary between each pair of leaflets. Leaflet margins entire. Veins prominent on lower surface. Petiolate. Stipules present as spines 0.3-1(-1.7) cm long.

Flowers: Flowers numerous, in cylindrical spikes 7–12 cm long. Flowers mimosaceous, bisexual (perfect). Calyx campanulate, shortly 5-toothed. Corolla of 5 petals, corolla yellowish green, ca. 6 mm long, inner surface of petals pilose. Stamens 5–6 mm long. Ovary superior, stipitate; ovules numerous.

Fruit: Pods yellowish brown; subcylindrical; often irregularly curved; 6–25 cm long; 1–1.5 cm wide; stipe 1.3–1.8 cm long; septate between the seeds. Seeds brown; narrowly obovoid; ca. 6.5 mm long; numerous slightly laterally compressed; with a horseshoe–shaped areole and copious endosperm.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Dominant component of the vegetation in low elevation; dry disturbed sites; from the vegetation line behind beaches; on raised limestone reefs; dry slopes and gulches; and in degraded dry forest.

Elevation Range: 0–610 m.

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Ethnobotanical Images

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Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Naturalized
Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Kaho'olawe Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Water/Ocean
Birds
Forestry

Pollinators

Notes

  • 0-610 m
  • Description digitized by Olivia Kraus
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • pods used for cattle feed. seeds were indigestible so were excreted, helped spread the tree
  • single tree planted in 1828

Bibliography

Name Published In: Phytokeys 205. p182 (2022)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:692 (Mi, K, O, L, M, Ka, H); Hughes 1995:6 (Mo); Staples & Herbst 2005:298 (KEY), 322 (DESCR); Wood & LeGrande 2006:23 (Le)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
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