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Floristic Inventory of the Florida Keys Database Online

Pithecellobium unguis-cati (L.) Benth.
Cat’s-claw, Catclaw blackbead

Pithecellobium unguis-cati
Copyright by: George D. Gann
in habitat, Everglades National Park, Key Largo, Florida, 2013

Family: Fabaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Shrub

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Peninsular Florida, the West Indies, Central America and South America.

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Secure

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: Visit our Natives For Your Neighborhood website for more information and images. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website.

FLORIDA KEYS Occurrence: Present

FLORIDA KEYS Native Status: Native

IRC FLORIDA KEYS Status: Secure

Map of select IRC data for the Florida Keys

Florida Keys History and Distribution: First collected between 1838 and 1853 by John Loomis Blodgett on the island of Key West.  Reported in 1913 by John Kunkel Small for coastal sand dunes and hammocks from the upper Keys to the lower Keys.  Reported for the lower sandy Keys by John H. Davis in 1942.  We consider this native and extant throughout the Florida Keys.

Other data on Pithecellobium unguis-cati available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants

Pithecellobium unguis-cati has been reported from the following 15 conservation areas in the FLORIDA KEYS :
Occurrence Native Status
Attwood Addition, Indian Key Historic State Park Present Native
Bahia Honda State Park Present Native, Cultivated Only
Biscayne National Park, Florida Keys Section Present Native
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Present Native
Dove Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Indian Key Historic State Park Present Native
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Present Native
Key West National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park Present Native
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park, Klopp Tract Present Native
Long Key State Park Present Native
National Key Deer Refuge Present Native
Snake Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park Present Native




Pithecellobium unguis-cati has been reported for the following 3 habitats in THE FLORIDA KEYS :
Coastal Berm
Keys Cactus Barren
Rockland Hammock


All Images:

Pithecellobium unguis-cati
Copyright by: George D. Gann
in habitat, Everglades National Park, Key Largo, Florida, 2013
Pithecellobium unguis-cati
Copyright by: George D. Gann
in habitat, Everglades National Park, Key Largo, Florida, 2013
Pithecellobium unguis-cati
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer
Pithecellobium unguis-cati
Copyright by: Shirley Denton
Pithecellobium unguis-cati
Copyright by: Shirley Denton
Pithecellobium unguis-cati
Copyright by: Shirley Denton