Scientific Family
Fabaceae
Synonyms
Acacia angustissima
Other common names
Arizona desert-carpet
white ball acacia
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
3 feet
Riparian
No
Woody at least at the base with fern-like or feathery, twice-compound (bipinnate) leaves and flower heads that are white balls. It does not have spines like the Mimosas or other Acaciellas.
Height commonly under 3 feet, no spines and stemmed flower heads separate from other Acaciella; leaves alternate, on both sides of stem; leaflets oblong, margin entire, apex acute; flowers a powder puff-like spherical cluster; stamens numerous.
Habitat
Dry rocky slopes, often in chaparral.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Interior Chaparral
Low elevation
3500
High elevation
6500
Flower Characteristics
Round, stemmed flower clusters on stems that originate in the leaf axils or found at the end of primary stems; flower heads about 3/4 inch in diameter; calyx less than 1/16 inch long; green petals 1/16 to 1/8 inch long; white stamens 1/8 to 1/4 inch long.
Flower color
White, sometimes pinkish
Flower shape
Irregular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
May
Last bloom month
September
Flower clusters
Rounded
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves 4 to 19 inches long, primary leaflets usually in 2 to 14 pairs, acute or obtuse at apex; secondary leaflets in 9 to 33 pairs; leaflets narrow-oblong, 1/8 to 1/4 inch long, usually 1/16 inch or less broad, few hairs along margins.
Leaf type
Compound
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Pinnatifid
Leaf margin
Toothed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Pod, linear-oblong, about 1/2 inch broad, 1-1/2 inches to 2-3/4 inches long, hairy or bearing a few scattered simple hairs.
Fruit type
Pod
Fruit color
Reddish-brown
8 to 12 seeds per pod.