{{Short description|Species of legume}} {{Speciesbox |image = Pink Fairy-duster - Flickr - treegrow (2).jpg |status = {{TNCStatus}} |status_system = TNC |status_ref = <ref>{{cite web |title=NatureServe Explorer 2.0 |url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.142659/Calliandra_eriophylla |website=explorer.natureserve.org |access-date=9 April 2023 |archive-date=9 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409165655/https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.142659/Calliandra_eriophylla |url-status=dead }}</ref> |genus = Calliandra |species = eriophylla |authority = Benth. |synonyms = {{Plainlist | style = margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; | *''Anneslia eriophylla'' <small>(Benth.) Britton</small> *''Calliandra chamaedrys'' <small>Engelm.</small> *''Calliandra conferta'' <small>A.Gray</small> *''Feuilleea eriophylla'' <small>Kuntze</small> }} |synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/ild-28207|title=The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species|website=Theplantlist.org|access-date=5 October 2014}}</ref> |}}
'''''Calliandra eriophylla''''', commonly known as '''fairy duster''', is a low spreading shrub which is native to deserts and arid grasslands in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico.
The flowers, which appear between late winter and late spring, have dense clusters of pale to deep pink stamens and are about {{convert|5|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} wide.
The shrub is usually between {{convert|20|and|50|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} high and has bipinnate leaves.
Alternative common names for this species include '''mock mesquite''' and '''mesquitella'''.
==Description== The ''Calliandra'' genus has over 250 species, with only three being native to the southwest. Found in regions such as Northern Mexico Sonoran and Chihuahuan<ref name="Text 6" /> deserts along with Southern California and Southwestern New Mexico. This spectacular plant gets its name as a reference to its "showy appearance". The Calliandra plants thrive in the heat and once established can endure extreme droughts. They can survive being watered as little as once to twice a week.
==Name origin== The genus name, ''Calliandra'', means "beautiful-stamens". The species name, eriophylla is Greek for "wooly leaf". Some of its common names are fairy duster, false mesquite, stickpea, hairy-leaved ''Calliandra'', pink mimosa, pink-flowered acacia, mesquitilla, plumita, gavia, huajillo, cabeza angel, cabelleto de angel, cabeze de angel, and cosahui.<ref name="Text 8">Posey Amala, ''Native Plants of Arizona''</ref>
==Identification== Typically, the ''Calliandra'' is a low growing plant, prostrate toward upper elevation, and at lower elevation grows erect and bushy. The ''Calliandra'' grows as a loosely branched shrub that once matured, can reach heights of four to five feet in height and twice as wide in width. Pruning for this particular plant is not necessary; however, if one chooses to prune it can result in making the plant much denser. Found in this plant are spherical flowers found in cream, pink, or white one and one quarter to two inches in diameter containing several clusters of flowers with long slender stamens. The stamens in the plant are usually straight but occasionally found curled.
==Habitat- growth habitat== ''Calliandra eriophylla'' usually grows in dry areas. The fairy duster can survive with little water, and with varied amounts of exposure to the sun. However, the plant blooms more when it is exposed to the sun than when it has little exposure to the sun. The fairy duster depends on soil that is dry, contains gravel, and its naturally alkaline.<ref name="Text 5">{{Cite web|url=http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAER.|title = Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - the University of Texas at Austin|website=Wildflower.org}}</ref> It is usually found on open hillsides<ref name="Text 6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.desertusa.com/flowers/fairy-duster.html|title=Fairy Duster Wildflower |website=Desertusa.com|access-date=24 May 2022}}</ref> and desert washes and slopes that fall below {{convert|5000|ft|m}}. These plants can grow to be up to {{convert|2|to|4|ft|cm|-1}} wide and 1 to 3 feet tall. During the spring and summer the plant begins to bloom pale to vibrant pink flowers.<ref name="Text 7">{{Cite web|url=https://homeguides.sfgate.com/fairy-dusters-94209.html|title=Facts About Fairy Dusters|website=Homeguides.sfgate.com|date=17 December 2013 |access-date=24 May 2022}}</ref>
==Distribution== ''Calliandra eriophylla'' is distributed across a wide range of arid and dry areas. It is most commonly located in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. This includes places like southern California, New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. These plants are native to the Arizona region and as such can survive in desert areas with minimal water needs. This allows it to thrive in areas like the Mohave Desert<ref name="Text 2">{{Cite web |url=http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/plants-c/bio414/species%20pages/Calliandra%20eriophylla.htm |title=Calliandra eriophylla |access-date=2015-05-09 |archive-date=2012-12-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121223020601/http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/plants-c/bio414/species%20pages/Calliandra%20eriophylla.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Sonoran Desert<ref name="Text 2" /> and other areas with weather similar to that of Southern Arizona. The preferred elevation for growth of fairy duster is between {{convert|1000|and|5000|ft|m|-2}}.<ref name="Text 3">{{Cite web |url=http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Calliandra_eriophylla.html |title=Calliandra eriophylla |date=11 March 2015 |website= |access-date=24 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311090123/http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Calliandra_eriophylla.html |archive-date=11 March 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Seeding and pollination== The ''Calliandra eriophylla'' is fairly common in the deserts of the southwestern United States. Therefore, it has a number of different pollinators. Some of the primary pollinators are bees, flies, butterflies, and hummingbirds.<ref name="Text 2" /> The fairy duster is able to attract these pollinators because it produces a considerable amount of nectar of about 2.17 mg of sugar per flower.<ref name="Text 2" /> The pollination allows the seed pods to begin to grow. Eventually when they reach maturity the pods, which are dehiscent,<ref name="Text 3" /> will break open and launch the seeds in an attempt to propagate the plant. One of the main threats to the seeds is that many animals eat the seeds before they can develop including small birds like quails<ref name="Text 2" /> which may even pry open unpopped pods.<ref name="Text 4">{{cite web |author=Laura Murphy |title=Let a Fairy Dust Your Landscape |url=http://cals.arizona.edu/mohave/master_gardeners/lake_havasu/articles/fairydusters.pdf |access-date=24 May 2022 |website=College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, The University of Arizona |archive-date=5 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305041409/http://cals.arizona.edu/mohave/master_gardeners/lake_havasu/articles/fairydusters.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Animals== The fairy duster flowers are a pale pink color and are an attraction to animals that live in the desert. This plant becomes a source of food for the deer that roam in the desert or hillsides. The plant also attracts butterflies, bees and hummingbirds for nectar when the flowers are blooming.<ref name="Text 5" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Other sources== *Spellenberg, R. (1979) ''Field Guide to North American Wildflowers - Western Region'', National Audubon Society. *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070629062333/http://cals.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Calliandra_eriophylla.html ''Calliandra eriophylla'']: The University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension *{{GRIN}}
==External links== *[http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?16644 Jepson Interchange: ''Calliandra eriophylla''] *[https://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?keywordquery=Calliandra_eriophylla&mode=sciname USDA PLANTS Profile: ''Calliandra eriophylla''] *{{Commons category-inline|Calliandra eriophylla}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2709989}}
eriophylla Category:Flora of Northwestern Mexico Category:Flora of Northeastern Mexico Category:Flora of the Southwestern United States Category:Flora of Arizona Category:Flora of California Category:Flora of New Mexico Category:Flora of Texas Category:Flora of the Sonoran Deserts Category:Flora of the Chihuahuan Desert Category:Flora of the California desert regions Category:Natural history of the Colorado Desert Category:Taxa named by George Bentham Category:Garden plants of North America Category:Drought-tolerant plants Category:Flora without expected TNC conservation status