FloraFinder.org
Home   About Us   FAQ  
Searching   Image Use Plant Books
x
FloraFinder uses cookies only for correct operation. More info. Okay

Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit

White leadtree, jumbie bean, jumbay, river tamarind, pearl wattle, ipil-ipil, tan-tan, white popinac, coffee bush, cow tamarind, miusina

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassRosidaeRoses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
OrderFabalesLegumes (pea and bean families)
FamilyFabaceaeLegume family (peas and beans)
GenusLeucaenaNew Latin, from Greek leukainein, “to make white, become white”; from leukos, “white”
SpeciesleucocephalaWhite or dusky-headed

About plant names...

White leadtree is native to northern Central America and southern Mexico. It has become naturalized throughout the tropics. It is considered one of the 100 worst invasive species, growing in dense thickets that crowd everything else out. Don’t even think about planting these! They prefer riparian zones (areas around rivers), but also thrive in roadsides, open woods, gardens, disturbed habitats, and coastal areas.

Plants: Shrubs or small trees, 6½-33′ (2-10 m) high. Young stems are green and densely covered in fine grayish hairs. Older stems are smooth, gray or gray-brown, with multiple raise lenticles.

Leaves: bipinnate, up to 10″ (25 cm) long. Each leaf has about 12 pairs of opposite, lanceolate leaflets ¼-⅜″ (9-12 mm) × 1/16-⅛″ (2-3.5 mm).

Flowers: Resembling fuzzy balls ¾″ (1.9 cm) in diameter, flowers are white, aging to yellow and brown.

Fruits: Seed pods are dark brown, nearly flat, 3-9″ (8-23 cm) long × ⅜-¾″ (1-2 cm) wide, each containing about 20 seeds. Each seed is glossy brown, oval, flat, and ⅛″ (6 mm) long.

Online References:

Keys.lucidcentral.org

The University of Florida IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants

Wikipedia

Leucaena leucocephala (white leadtree, jumbie bean, jumbay, river tamarind, pearl wattle, ipil-ipil, tan-tan, white popinac, coffee bush, cow tamarind, miusina)

4/11/2015 · Loop Road, Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

Leucaena leucocephala (white leadtree, jumbie bean, jumbay, river tamarind, pearl wattle, ipil-ipil, tan-tan, white popinac, coffee bush, cow tamarind, miusina)

4/11/2015 · Loop Road, Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

Leucaena leucocephala (white leadtree, jumbie bean, jumbay, river tamarind, pearl wattle, ipil-ipil, tan-tan, white popinac, coffee bush, cow tamarind, miusina)

4/13/2015 · Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)

 

Leucaena leucocephala description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 5 Sep 2023.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.


 

Leucaena leucocephala (white leadtree, jumbie bean, jumbay, river tamarind, pearl wattle, ipil-ipil, tan-tan, white popinac, coffee bush, cow tamarind, miusina)

4/13/2015 · Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)

Leucaena leucocephala (white leadtree, jumbie bean, jumbay, river tamarind, pearl wattle, ipil-ipil, tan-tan, white popinac, coffee bush, cow tamarind, miusina)

4/13/2015 · Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (47 × 31 cm)

Leucaena leucocephala (white leadtree, jumbie bean, jumbay, river tamarind, pearl wattle, ipil-ipil, tan-tan, white popinac, coffee bush, cow tamarind, miusina)

4/11/2015 · Loop Road, Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

Leucaena leucocephala (white leadtree, jumbie bean, jumbay, river tamarind, pearl wattle, ipil-ipil, tan-tan, white popinac, coffee bush, cow tamarind, miusina)

4/13/2015 · Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)

Leucaena leucocephala (white leadtree, jumbie bean, jumbay, river tamarind, pearl wattle, ipil-ipil, tan-tan, white popinac, coffee bush, cow tamarind, miusina)

4/13/2015 · Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 21 cm)

Range:

About this map...