Mimosa ephedroides

Botanical Name

Mimosa ephedroides (Hooker & Arnott) Bentham

Common Name(s)

  • prendador (Spanish)
  • pichana (Spanish)

Synonyms

Legume Clades

Caesalpinioideae , Mimosoid Clade , Core Mimosoids , Mimosa Clade , Mimosa

Native Geographic Range

  • Southern South America

IUCN Status

Growth Form

shrub

Cultivation Status in AZ

Rarely cultivated

Description

Drought- and cold-deciduous shrubs to 6.5 ft (2 m) high with unarmed, green stems with vertical ribs. Older stems become grayish colored. The leaves (when present) have a single pair of pinnae with 3--4 leaflets each. Pink to whitish flowers are produced in rounded heads during the summer.

Habitat

Native to the Monte Desert of northwestern Argentina. The plants are often abundant in arid valleys and on slopes and dunes.

Uses

None reported.

Horticulture

Prendador is not grown as a landscape plant. It is unique among Mimosa species in its appearance and relies principally on its green stems for photosynthesis. The plants have an upright growth habit and are extremely drought tolerant. Plants have survived 16° F (-9° C) without damage. Litter is minimal.