Calliandra haematocephala Hassk.
Vernacular name: Red powder-puff, Powder-puff tree, Red tassel flower (Hindi: लाल पाउडर पफ)
Species Name: Calliandra haematocephala Hassk.
Family: Fabaceae
Habit: Evergreen shrub or small tree, spreading and much-branched.
Stem: Woody, branched, grey-brown bark; young branches slender.
Leaf: Bipinnate, with 1–2 pairs of pinnae; leaflets 4–9 pairs, obliquely lanceolate, small and closely arranged.
Flowering: Mainly winter–spring.
Flowers: Axillary, globose heads 3–5 cm across; numerous conspicuous scarlet stamens forming a powder-puff-like head; corolla purplish, small; staminal filaments long and exserted.
Fruit: Linear-oblanceolate, flattened pod, about 7–12 cm long, containing 5–6 seeds
Uses:
- Traditional practices used decoction of flowers as tonic and blood purifier.
- Traditional medicines uses different part of root for treating stomach ulcers and infections, easing hemorrhoids and reduce inflammations.
- Mainly cultivated as an ornamental shrub for its conspicuous red powder-puff or pom-pom like flowers and attractive bipinnate foliage.
- It is planted as hedges, screen plant and boarders in gardens and parks or in pots and planters near decks and patios.
- Flowers attracts pollinators like bees, humming birds and butterflies and is good source for honey production.
- Plant can be used in mulch and compost.
- It is planted as pioneer plant during land rehabilitations and agroforestry intercropping as it prevents soil erosion.
- Plant can be used as forage supplements and fodder for ruminant livestock and leaf protein for egg laying hens.
- Wood can be used as small scaled fuel wood.
- Extracts of different parts of plant can be used in green synthesis of zinc oxide, silver and magnetite nanoparticles.
- It’s a natural host for Laccifer lacca (Lac insect) for shellac production.
