Pithecellobium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It includes approximately 23 species from the tropical Americas, ranging from Mexico to Peru and northern Brazil, including the Caribbean Islands and Florida.[1]
Pithecellobium | |
---|---|
Pithecellobium keyense | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
Genus: | Pithecellobium Mart. (1837), nom. cons. |
Species | |
See text | |
Synonyms[1][2] | |
|
The generic name is derived from the Greek words πίθηκος (pithêkos), meaning "ape" or "monkey," and ἐλλόβιον (ellobion), meaning "earring," which refers to the coiled shape of the fruit pods.[3] Plants of the genus are known generally as blackbeads.[4]
23 species are currently accepted:[1]
Many species now in the genera Albizia and Abarema were formerly classified in Pithecellobium. Other species previously included: