Parkinsonia
| Parkinsonia | |
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| Flowers and leaves of Parkinsonia aculeata | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Genus: | Parkinsonia |
| Type species | |
| Parkinsonia aculeata L.[1]
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| Species | |
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See text | |
| Synonyms | |
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Cercidiopsis Britton & Rose | |
Parkinsonia (Template:Pron-en, syn. Cercidium /sərˈsɪdiəm/)[3] is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It contains about 12 species that are native to semi-desert regions of Africa and the Americas. The generic name honors English apothecary and botanist John Parkinson (1567–1650).[4]
They are large shrubs or small trees growing to 5–12 m (16–39 ft) tall, dry season deciduous, with sparse, open, thorny crowns and green bark. The leaves are pinnate, sometimes bipinnate, with numerous small leaflets; they are only borne for a relatively short time after rains, with much of the photosynthesis carried out by the green twigs and branches. The flowers are symmetrical or nearly so, with five yellow or white petals. The fruit is a pod containing several seeds. Most American species are known by the common name of palo verde or paloverde, from the Spanish words meaning "green pole" or "green stick". This name is derived from its characteristic green trunk.
Selected species
- Africa
- Parkinsonia africana Sond. (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa)
- Parkinsonia anacantha Brenan (Kenya)
- Parkinsonia raimondoi Brenan (Somalia)
- Parkinsonia scioana (Chiov.) Brenan (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya)
- Americas
- Parkinsonia aculeata L. - Mexican Palo Verde (Texas and Arizona in the United States south to Argentina; Galápagos Islands)
- Parkinsonia carterae (Western Mexico south to Ecuador)
- Parkinsonia florida (Benth. ex A.Gray) S.Watson (syn. Cercidium floridum) - Blue Palo Verde (Southern California, Arizona, northwestern Mexico)
- Parkinsonia microphylla Torr. (syn. Cercidium microphyllum) - Foothill Palo Verde (Southern California, Arizona, northwestern Mexico)
- Parkinsonia praecox (Ruiz & Pav.) J.A.Hawkins (syn. Cercidium praecox) - Brea, Verde olivo (Mexico south to Argentina)
- Parkinsonia texana (A.Gray) S.Watson (syn. Cercidium texanum) - Texas Palo Verde (Texas, northeastern Mexico)[5][6]
References
- ^ "Parkinsonia L." TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2010-02-10.
- ^ "Parkinsonia L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2000-04-07. Retrieved 2010-02-10.
- ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
- ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology. Vol. 3. p. 1966. ISBN 9780849326738.
- ^ "Species records of Parkinsonia". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-02-10.
- ^ "Subordinate taxa of Parkinsonia L." TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
External links
Media related to Parkinsonia at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Parkinsonia at Wikispecies
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