Biorepository Data Portal

Wiggins 1964, Benson and Darrow 1981, Kearney and Peebles 1969

Common Name: catclaw mimosa Duration: Perennial Nativity: Native Lifeform: Tree General: Shrub or small tree 0.6-2 m with paired recurved thorns at the nodes. Leaves: Twice pinnate leaves with 4-7 pairs of pinnae, each with 6-13 pairs of leaflets 2 mm long. Flowers: Capitate cluster about 15 mm broad, pink or white. Fruits: Pod 4 mm wide, curved, valves not jointed, with marginal prickles. Ecology: Grows in thickets on hills and canyon slopes and along washes from 3,000-6,000 ft (1067-1981 m). Distribution: AZ, NM, TX; south to s MEX. Ethnobotany: Pods of this plant were ground into a meal. Etymology: Mimosa comes from Latin mimus, meaning mime, while aculeaticarpa refers to the spines and biuncifera refers to their being paired. Synonyms: Mimosa biuncifera, Mimosa acanthocarpa, Acacia acanthocarpa Editor: SBuckley 2010, FSCoburn 2015