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Vara Prieta or Palo Piojo
(Brongniartia alamosana)
NORTHWEST WALL OF SCIENCE LIBRARY, SOUTH OF CACTUS GARDEN
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Vara Prieta or Palo Piojo |
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(Brongniartia alamosana) |
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NORTHWEST WALL OF SCIENCE LIBRARY, SOUTH OF CACTUS GARDEN |
| 18 | A rare plant in landscaping. It is not remarkable when out of the bloom, but in season the red pea-flowers are attractive and unique. |
| In Depth | Brongniartia alamosana, Vara Prieta or Palo Piojo |
| Location: NORTHWEST WALL OF SCIENCE LIBRARY, SOUTH OF CACTUS GARDEN | |
| Family: Fabaceae, the Legume family | |
| Distribution: Southern Sonora, Mexico and northern Sinaloa, Mexico | |
| Habitat: a common element of tropical deciduous forests in its range. | |
| Habit: small - medium tree | |
| Flowering: May - August | |
| Natural History Notes: The genus name honors French botanist, Adolphe T. Brongniart (18011876). The species name refers to the city of Alamos, Sonora, where it was first collected in 1890 by Edward Palmer. Hummingbirds are frequent visitors of the dark maroon colored flowers, but they may not be effective pollinators. Distinguishing Characteristics: The leaves are odd-pinnate, meaning that there is an odd number of leaflets, specifically 9-13. Individual leaflets are smooth margined and 1-2 in long. The leaves fall shortly after the summer monsoons end. New growth is very light green, almost white, because of many small hairs covering the surfaces. The distinctive dark red to purple flowers are produced from the leaf axils either singly or in clusters of two. Flowers appear when the plant is mostly leafless from the winter's cold and continue to be produced through the monsoon season. In the fall, seed pods burst open when ripe with a loud "popping" noise. This method of dispersal allows the seeds to be flung great distances from the parent tree. The bark is gray-brown with vertical fissures. Human Uses: Little is known of the uses of this species, although the seeds may be harvested and extracted for oils. These trees have an attractive growth form and distinctive flowers, warranting their wider use as ornamentals |