Calliandra haematocephala Hassk., Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Low risk (based on second screen), score: 2 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: blood red tassel flower, red powder puff

French: pompon

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Shrub 1-3 m tall with spreading branches.  Stipules 6.5-10 mm; leaves with 1 pair pinnae, each with 7-10 pairs of elliptic to oblong-lanceolate or subfalcate leaflets, each different, 0.5-4.7 X 0.3-1.7 cm, apex obtuse and mucronulate, base obliquely rounded to subcordate; petiole 1-2.5 cm.  Peduncle 1-3.3 cm, calyx white to pink, 1.5-2.2 mm, striate; corolla pink with green lobes or white, tube 3.5-5 mm; lobes 3 mm; stamens bright red, 3 cm long.  Legume linear-lanceolate 9-10 X 1.5 cm; seeds 5 or 6, oblong, flattened 0.8-1.2 X 0.4-0.6 cm."  (Howard, 1988; p. 350).

"Rambling shrub or small tree with branched pinnate, silky leaves and powder-puff-like balls of conspicuous dark crimson stamens"  (Csurhes and Edwards, 1998; p. 97).

Habitat/ecology:  "Fertile, moist, but well-drained soils in sunny places are preferred" (Whistler, 2000; p. 100).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Bolivia, but widely cultivated.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	cultivated	Sykes, Bill (year unknown)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced invasive	Josekutty, P. C./Wakuk, E. E./Joseph, M. J. (2002) (p. 62) As Calliandrad haematoma [sic]. Benth. Staples & Herbst (2005) say this is a synonym while GRIN carries it as a separate species.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 91)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 33)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2006) (p. Voucher specimens) Voucher cited: Herbst 5677 (BISH 415751)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2006) (p. Voucher specimen) Voucher cited: Flynn 5156 (BISH 633133)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2006) (p. Voucher specimens) Voucher cited: Rock 12860 (BISH 54862)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 77) Vouchers cited: MacKee 13328, Nothia 281 (NOU), MacKee 36987
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 91)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 79)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands		Wairiu, M./Wagatora, D. (2002)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced cultivated	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 54)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 97) Garden escape.
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)

Comments:  Widespread planting as an ornamental in Australia.

Additional information:  Photos and additional information at the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants.

Additional online information about Calliandra haematocephala is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Calliandra haematocephala may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. 1998. Potential environmental weeds in Australia: Candidate species for preventative control. Canberra, Australia. Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia. 208 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Howard, Richard A. 1988. Flora of the Lesser Antilles: Leeward and Windward Islands. Vol. 4, Dicotyledoneae-Part 1. Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University. 673 pp.

ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre. 2005. International Legume Database & Information Service. Online searchable database.

Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. 2006. Annotated checklist of cultivated plants of Hawai‘i (online searchable database).

Josekutty, P. C./Wakuk, E. E./Joseph, M. J. 2002. Invasive/weedy angiosperms in Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia. In: Invasive species and their management. Micronesica Suppl. 6:61-65.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

Raulerson, L. 2006. Checklist of Plants of the Mariana Islands. University of Guam Herbarium Contribution 40:1-69. .

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar. 2003. Report to the Republic of Palau on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 174 pp.

Sykes, Bill. 0. Bill Sykes, pers. com.

Wairiu, M./Wagatora, D. 2002. Solomon Islands national profile report on invasive alien species. Prepared for "The prevention and management of invasive alien species: forging cooperation throughout the Austral Pacific", Honolulu, Hawai'i, 15-17 October 2002.

Whistler, W. A. 2000. Tropical ornamentals: a guide. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 542 pp.