Calliandra magdalenae

Native from southern Mexico to northwestern Venezuela and Peru, this perennial shrub or tree grows about 5 to 40 feet tall. Its compound leaves divide into two branches, each bearing many pairs of small leaflets. Rounded flower heads contain long stamens that are white near the base and pink to red toward the tips. Its distinctive woody seed pods have unusually thickened margins that can cover much of the pod surface. It grows in tropical forests, woodlands, savannas, and shrublands. In Colombia, it is recorded between about 650 and 5,100 feet. It is also cultivated as an ornamental. Photographed in Santander, Colombia.