Mimosa invisa Colla

Mimosa invisa Mart. Flora 20: Beibl. 2: 121. 1837
Sckrankia brachycarpa Benth. Journ. Bot. Hook. 2: 130. 1840. Mimosa diplotricha C. Wright; Sauvalle. Anales Acad. Habana 5: 405. 1869. Morongia pilosa Standley, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 18: 105. 1916. Schrankia pilosa Macbride, Contr. Gray Herb. 59: 11. 1919.
A woody clambering vine, 1-2 m. long, the branches angled, with numerous, short reflexcd prickles, pilose or glabrous. Pinnae 4-8 pairs; petiole and rachis more or less prickly; leaflets many pairs, oblong-linear, 3-5 mm. long, about 1 mm. wide, glabrous on both sides, ciliate; peduncles about 1 cm. long, or shorter; flowers in dense heads; calyx and corolla glabrous; stamens 8, twice as many as the corolla-lobes, purplish; legume linear-oblong, 1-2.5 cm. long, 5—6 mm. wide, short-setose on the valves and margin, more or less pubescent, sessile, 3-5jointed.
Type locality: Rio de Janeiro. Brazil.
Distribution: Jamaica; Cuba; Hispaniola; Trinidad; Tepic and Veracruz to Panama, Colombia and Brazil.

Perennial, Shrubs, Stems woody below, or from woody crown or caudex, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems or branches arching, spreading or decumbent, Stems greater than 2 m tall, Trunk or stems armed with thorns, spines or prickles, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Stems with hooked uncinate hairs or prickles, Leaves alternate , Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules setiform, subulate or acicular, Stipules persistent, Stipules free, Leaves compound, Leaves bipinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Flowers solitary in axils, or appearing solitary, Inflorescences globose heads, capitate or subcapitate, Inflorescence axillary, Flowers actinomorphic or somewhat irregular, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx glabrous, Petals united, valvate, Petals white, Petals pinkish to rose, Petals blue, lavander to purple, or violet, Imperfect flowers present, dioecious or polygamodioecious, Stamens 9-10, Fertile stamens 6-8, Stamens completely free, separate, Stamens long exserted, Filaments glabrous, Filaments pink or red, Style terete, Fruit a legume, Fruit unilocular, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit strongly curved, falcate, bent, or lunate, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit spiny, bur-like, with hooked bristles o r prickles, Fruit 3-10 seeded, Seed with elliptical line or depression, pleurogram, Seeds subquadrate, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.

Mimosa invisa is a species of leguminous woody shrub or vine native to South America. Mimosa invisa includes two subspecies, each with two varieties: The species is considered to be noxious and invasive in much of the United States.

Mimosa invisa Martius ex Colla Mimosa invisa invisa Barneby Mimosa invisa invisa var. invisa Barneby - native to Brazil and Paraguay Mimosa invisa invisa var. macrostachya (Bentham) Barneby - native to Brazil and Paraguay Mimosa invisa spiciflora (Karsten) Barneby Mimosa invisa spiciflora var. spiciflora Barneby - native to northern South America Mimosa invisa spiciflora var. tovarensis (Bentham) Barneby - native to Venezuela