''Acaciella'' is a

Neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In bioge ...

genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the legume family, Fabaceae, and its subfamily

Mimosoideae The Mimosoideae are a traditional subfamily of trees, herbs, lianas, and shrubs in the pea family (Fabaceae) that mostly grow in tropical and subtropical climates. They are typically characterized by having radially symmetric flowers, with petals ...

. Its

centre of diversity A center of origin is a geographical area where a group of organisms, either domesticated or wild, first developed its distinctive properties. They are also considered centers of diversity. Centers of origin were first identified in 1924 by N ...

is along the Mexican Pacific coast. They are unarmed, have no extrafloral nectaries and the polyads of their pollen are 8-celled. Though its numerous free stamens (sometimes >300) is typical of '' Acacia s.l.'', it has several characteristics in common with genus ''

Piptadenia ''Piptadenia'' is a genus of tropical shrubs and trees of the family Fabaceae. Species *'' Piptadenia adiantoides'' (Sprengel) Macbr. *''Piptadenia affinis'' Burkart *''Piptadenia anolidurus'' Barneby *'' Piptadenia buchananii'' *'' Piptadenia ...

'' (tribe Mimoseae). Its pollen and free

amino acid Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the alpha-amino acids, which comprise proteins. Only 22 alpha a ...

s resemble that of ''

Senegalia ''Senegalia'' (from Senegal and ''Acacia senegal'' (L.) Willd.) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It belongs to the Mimosoid clade. Until 2005, its species were considered members of ''Acacia.'' The genus was considered poly ...

''. Molecular studies place it sister to a monophyletic clade comprising elements of genus '' Acacia'', and the tribe

Ingeae The Mimosoideae are a traditional subfamily of trees, herbs, lianas, and shrubs in the pea family ( Fabaceae) that mostly grow in tropical and subtropical climates. They are typically characterized by having radially symmetric flowers, with peta ...

. A nectary ring is present between the stamens and ovary, in common with ''Acacia'' subg. ''Aculeiferum''.

Species

*''

Acaciella angustissima ''Acaciella angustissima'' (prairie acacia, white ball acacia, ocpatl, or palo de pulque) is most recognized for its drought tolerance and its ability to be used as a green manure and ground covering. It is a perennial, deciduous, and belongs to ...

'' (Mill.) Britton & Rose—Prairie acacia, Prairie wattle, Fern acacia **var. ''angustissima '' (Mill.) Britton & Rose **var. ''chisosiana'' —Chisos acacia, Chisos prairie acacia, Prairie acacia **var. ''filicoides'' (Cav.) L. Rico **var. ''hirta'' —Prairie acacia **var. ''shrevei'' —Shreve's Prairie acacia ** var. ''suffrutescens'' —Prairie acacia **var. ''texensis'' (Nutt. ex Torrey & A. Gray) L. Rico—Prairie wattle, Whiteball acacia *'' Acaciella barrancana'' (H. Gentry) L. Rico *'' Acaciella bicolor'' Britton & Rose *'' Acaciella chamelensis'' (L. Rico) L. Rico *'' Acaciella glauca'' (L.) L. Rico—Yellow tamarind acacia, (''Jamaica'') Yellow tamarind *'' Acaciella goldmanii'' Britton & Rose *'' Acaciella hartwegii'' (Benth.) Britton & Rose *'' Acaciella igualensis'' Britton & Rose *'' Acaciella lemmonii'' (Rose) L. Rico *''

Acaciella painteri ''Acaciella'' is a Neotropical genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, and its subfamily Mimosoideae. Its centre of diversity is along the Mexican Pacific coast. They are unarmed, have no extrafloral nectaries and the polya ...

'' Britton & Rose **var. ''houghii'' (Britton & Rose) L. Rico **var. ''painteri'' Britton & Rose *''

Acaciella rosei ''Acaciella'' is a Neotropical genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, and its subfamily Mimosoideae. Its centre of diversity is along the Mexican Pacific coast. They are unarmed, have no extrafloral nectaries and the polya ...

'' (Standl.) L. Rico *'' Acaciella sotoi'' L. Rico *'' Acaciella sousae'' (L. Rico) L. Rico *'' Acaciella tequilana'' (S. Wats.) Britton & Rose **var. ''crinita'' (Rose) L. Rico **var. ''pubifoliolata'' L. Rico **var. ''tequilana'' (S. Wats.) Britton & Rose *'' Acaciella villosa'' (Sw.) Britton & Rose

References

*Daniel J. Murphy (2008), A review of the classification of ''Acacia''. Fabaceae genera Neotropical realm flora {{Mimosoideae-stub