Cercidium praecox

Cercidium praecox (R. & P.) Harms, Bot. Jalirb. 42: 91. 1908
Caesalpinia praecox R. & P.; H. & A. Bot. Misc. 3: 208. 1832.
Cercidium spinosum L. Tulasne, Arch. Mus. Paris 4: 134. 1844.
Rketinophloeum viride Karst. Fl. Columb. 2: 25. 1862.
Cercidium viride Karst. Bot. Jahrb. 8: 346. 1887.
Cercidium plurifoliolatum M. Micheli, M^m. Soc. Geneve 34: 269. 1902.
Cercidium unijugum Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 8: 301. 1905.
A tree, 5-9 m. high, the bark green, the branches glabrous, or nearly so, armed with spines 0.5-2 cm. long. Petiole 5-12 mm. long, glabrate or pubescent; pinnae 1 or 2 pairs; leaflets 5-8 pairs, oblong or oblong-obovate, obtuse or retuse, 5-8 mm. long, pilose-pubescent, at least beneath; racemes short, f ew -se veral-flo wered ; pedicels pubescent, 6-9 mm. long; calyx 6 mm. long, its lobes ovate or ovate-lanceolate; larger petals 8-15 mm. long; ovary glabrous; legume flat, thin, oblong or linear-oblong, glabrous, 5-8 cm. long, 8-10 mm. wide, 1-seeded or 2-seeded, the base narrowed or cuneate.
Type locality: Peru.
Distribution: Hispaniola; Sonora and Lower CaUfornia to Guerrero and Veracruz; Curasao; Colombia; Ecuador; Peru; Venezuela; Margarita.