Mariosousa willardiana
| Mariosousa willardiana | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Mariosousa |
| Species: | M. willardiana |
| Binomial name | |
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Mariosousa willardiana (Rose) Seigler & Ebinger |
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| Synonyms | |
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Mariosousa willardiana, also called Palo Blanco tree, palo liso, guinola and Willard Acacia, is a normally evergreen plant in the genus Mariosousa native to Mexico. The Spanish common name translates into 'white stick', defining its peeling white bark. A compound called Willardiine, that acts as an agonist in glutamate receptors, can be isolated from M. willardiana.
It can grow 10–20 ft or more with a spread of 1/3 to 2/3 the height. It is a very slender tree with few branches as well as leaves. The petiolar-rachis is characteristically long and functions as a cladophyll. it has a white or yellow-colored peeling off bark. The leaves have 5-6 leaflets in the end. It may drop leaves in autumn and winter. The flowers are like catkins, rod or bottle-brush-like, white or light yellow in color. The pods are multichambered, and 3-4 in long specimens. The flowers occur in pale yellow spikes.
The plant is endemic to Sonora (Sonoran desert), Mexico. It prefers rocky bajdas, slopes and arroyos from 0 to 2,000 feet elevation.
The bark of M. willardiana
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Wikipedia