Skip to main content

Kaliandra (Calliandra houstoniana)

Kaliandra (Calliandra houstoniana) is a plant species in Fabaceae, grows rapidly to 2.5-3.5 m tall in 6 months and 3-5 m high in the first year with a 60% light quantity, widely used for energy wood, animal feed, erosion control, soil nitrogen repair, fire retardant, shade and source of nectar for bees.

C. houstoniana grows to a maximum of 12 m and a stem diameter of 20 cm, red or gray bark covered by small, pale oval-shaped lenticels. Increasingly to the tip of the stem tends to jagged and reddish brown stems have a red tip. Taproot system is supported by finer roots with very large numbers and extends beyond the soil surface.

Dlium Kaliandra (Calliandra houstoniana)


The leaves are small, compounded pairs, soft texture and dark green, 20 cm long, 15 cm wide and at night will fold toward the trunk by the motion of the dictation due to changes in light to dark. The canopy widens to the side and is very dense.

Flower bunches develop in a centralized position and flowers cluster around the end of the stem with threads generally white at the base and a striking red at the end. Andromonecious flowers and after fertilization will produce fruit and seeds will develop for 90 days

Kaliandra blooms throughout the year, but the peak period is March and July. Each flower blooms at 4:00 pm and remains in bloom only overnight and then withers. Each bunch can flower for 90-120 days. Flowers are always more than fruit at a ratio of 1:20.

Seeds will be formed if random intermarriage occurs but also self-pollination which causes low genetic diversity. Pollination is carried out by bats (Chiroptera) and moths (Sphingidae). This plant is found in small populations for 30-60 individuals.





Pods will form for two to four months and mature to lengths of up to 14 cm and width of 2 cm. Straight, brownish in color, usually containing 8-12 oval and flat seeds. The mature seed surface has black or brown spots and a distinctive horseshoe-shaped mark on both flat surfaces.

C. houstoniana is a popular multipurpose tree because it is easy to plant, grows fast and sprouts again after being pruned repeatedly. Planted for fuelwood, animal feed, conservation and improvement of soil quality as a nitrogen binder, shade and flowering throughout the year is very important for honey production.

Kaliandra grows naturally along riverbanks and quickly occupies disturbed areas, but cannot withstand poorly drained soil and often cannot compete with other secondary vegetation. It lives at an altitude of up to 1,860 m, but will grow very well in 250-800 m with rainfall 2000-2400 mm/year and dry season 3-6 months.

This plant requires a daily temperature of 22-28C on various types of soil. It thrives quickly and covers open and marginal land. Farmers use Kaliandra to fight weeds including grass.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Mimosoideae
Tribe: Ingeae
Genus: Calliandra
Species: Calliandra houstoniana
Varieties: Calliandra houstoniana var. acapulcensis, Calliandra houstoniana var. anomala, Calliandra houstoniana var. calothyrsus

Popular Posts

Blood lily (Scadoxus multiflorus)

Blood lily or Haemanthus multiflorus ( Scadoxus multiflorus ) is a species of plant in the Amaryllidaceae, a bulbous shrub that produces rhizomes. Leaves and flowers may appear together or leaves may be produced later. The base of the leaves and stems are tightly wrapped to form a pseudo-stem or false stem, 5-60 cm long. Flowers in umbels at the top of the stem, leafless, 12-75 cm long. Pseudostems and scapes are often covered with reddish brown to dark purple spots. The flower umbel is in the shape of a globe with 10-200 individual flowers. Each flower has a stalk, 15-45 mm long. The tepals and filaments of the stamens are red. The base of the tepals is fused to form a cylindrical tube, 4-26 mm long, the free end of the tepals 12-32 mm long, narrow and spreading. The fruit is a berry having a diameter of 5-10 mm. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Liliopsida Order: Asparagales Family: Amaryllidaceae Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae Tribe: Haemantheae Ge...

Guinea grass (Panicum maximum)

Guinea grass or buffalo grass or green panic ( Panicum maximum ) is a plant species in Poaceae, annual grasses, growing upright to form clumps, strong, cultivated in all tropical and subtropical regions for very high value as fodder. P. maximum reproduces in very large pols, fibrous roots penetrate into the soil, upright stems, green, 1-1.5 m tall and have smooth cavities for diameters up to 2.5 mm. Propagation is done vegetatively and generatively. Ribbon-shaped leaves with a pointed tip, very many, built in lines, green, 40-105 cm long, 10-30 mm wide, erect, branched, a white linear bone, often covered with a layer of white wax, rough surface by hair short, dense and spread. The flower grows at the end of a long and upright stalk, open with the main axis length to more than 25 cm and the length of the bunches down to 20 cm. Grains have a size of 3x4 mm and oval. Seeds have a length of 2.25-2.50 mm and each 1 kg contains 1.2 - 1.5 million seeds. Guinea grass has two varieties. P...

Indian shot (Canna indica)

Puspa midra or Indian shot ( Canna indica ) is is plant species in Cannaceae, annual, shrub 0.5-2.5 meters high, depending on variety, erect stems, unbranched and leaf midrib arranged overlapping to form pseudostems and hermaphrodite flowers. C. indica forms a branched rhizome, 60 cm long which is divided into rounded segments and is covered in two stripes by pale green or purple scaly leaves. The rhizome has tubers that contain very large starch grains. The surface has transverse furrows, the underside appears white roots and numerous shoots. The leaves sit alternate and spiral or arranged in two rows, very large and divided into a leaf midrib, short stalk and blade. The strands are 30-60 cm long, 10-20 cm wide and have linear veins, green or purple-green, the base blunt or narrowly pointed and the apex immediately tapering or sharp. Hermaphrodite flowers, pedicels 0.2-1 cm long and red or yellow-orange, except in some cultivars 4.5-7.5 cm long. The sepals are triangular in shape a...