The volume should be mailed to participants by the end of June. We sincerely apologize for the delay and any inconvenience that it may cause. There is also a link to FACT Net information in Spanish. The genus Calliandra contains 132 species. Most are native to the Americas, but a few species are native to the South Asian subcontinent or Africa, including Madagascar.
Most species are shrubs or small trees, although a few are large trees or herbs.
Native to Central America and Mexico, Calliandra calothyrsus is the most widely used species in the genus. In 1936, Indonesian foresters planted C. calothyrsus in screening trials to evaluate its potential as a shade tree for coffee plantations. Although the species proved unsuitable for this use in Indonesia, farmers on Java have planted C. calothyrsus widely for fuelwood production and land reclamation. It is also planted for green manure, animal fodder, bee forage, and pulpwood. The successful use of C. calothyrsus in Indonesia has stimulated global interest in the genus, and trials are in progress in countries throughout the tropics to evaluate Calliandra species and their potential uses in agroforestry systems.