Calliandra antioquiae

This is a perennial flowering shrub in the pea family. Its genus includes shrubs and small trees, with most species native to tropical and subtropical America and a few native to Africa. The characteristic powder-puff flower heads consist of many small flowers whose long stamens extend far beyond the petals. Leaves are divided into paired branches bearing separate leaflets. Across the genus, habitats range from seasonally dry forests and riversides to woodlands and rocky scrub. Many species are grown as ornamentals. Their flattened seed pods split open elastically, helping scatter the seeds. Photographed in Tayrona, Colombia.