Botnical Name – Calliandra haematocephala Hassk.

 Classification –

• Kingdom – Plantae

• Division -Magnoliophyta 

• Class – Magnoliopsida

• Order -Fabales

• Family – Fabaceae

• Genus – Calliandra

• Species – haematocephala 

Common name – Red powder puff

  Characterisitics Of Fabaceae Family –

This family also called bean and legume .our species in the fabaceae include trees, herbs, shrubs and lianas. The leaves are alternate and in most species are divided into leaflets. Flower may be borne singly or may be grouped into various arrays. Flower are actinomorphic and zygomorphic . the sepal form a tube with lobes that are often of different lengths. The petals are often arranged such that a larger . There are usually 10 stamens and 1 ovary which has a single style and stigma . the fruit ususlly a legume , rarely the fruit is a schizocarp .

Habitat – open area, often cultivated, forest edges 

Distribution – India ; Andama & nicobar island , Assam ,Maharastra  Odisha.

World distribution – Africa, south and north America, Brazil , Europe ,Taiwan ,china.

Plant description- 

 Calliandra haematocephala is a spreading well branced shrub or small tree that grow up to 15 feet tall. Branches are brown, cylindric, and rough. Leaves, oblong, and acute with 5 to 10 pairs of glossy green leaflets. 

The leaves close at night. The red powder puff flower are attractive to butterflies and hummingbird but only appear from November to april .

Flower are clustered in globose heads up 3 inches in diameter . fruits ; pods have 4 to 7 seeds. 

Uses

• A fast growing legume

• A fabulous chop and drop mulch

• An excellent food forest shade plant

• A useful hedge or screen plant – coppices well

• A pioneer plant in a permaculture food forest – helping to get the systems started 

• excellent fuelwood for small fires

• Used for intercrop hedgerows in agroforesty systems

• Valuable supplement forage for ruminant livestock

• an accessible source of leaf meal protein for laying hens – pods are also high protein .