Littleleaf Leadtree

Caudoleucaena retusa (Benth.) Britton & Rose
Leucaena retusa Benth.; A. Gray. PI. Wright. 1: 64. 1852. Acacia sabeana Buckl. Proc. Acad. Phila. 1861: 453. 1862.
A shrub, or a tree up to about 8 m. high, the twigs, petioles, leaf-rachis and peduncles pubescent or villous. Stipules ovate or lanceolate, subulate-tipped, 10-15 mm. long; glands more or less elevated, globose to subcylindric, borne between some or all the pairs of pinnae ; petioles 1.5-5 cm. long; pinnae 2-5 pairs, slender-stalked; leaflets 4-8 pairs, oblong, elliptic, or the upper obovate, 0.7-2.5 cm. long, reticulate-veined, villous when young, glabrous when mature, the midvein more or less excentric, the apex obtuse, rounded, retuse or mucronate; peduncles rather stout, solitary or clustered, about as long as the petioles or shorter; heads globose; bractlets 4-6 mm. long, the subulate tip about as long as the ovate base; calyx tubular, membranous, about 2.5 mm. long; petals slightly longer than the caljrx; stamens 6-8 mm. long; legmne 15-25 cm. long, 8-12 mm. wide, the apex acute, the base cuneate, the stipe 5-10 mm. long; seeds 6-8 mm. long.
Type locality: Bottom of the Rio Nueces, Texas.
Distribution: Texas and New Mexico.

Perennial, Trees, Shrubs, Woody throughout, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems greater than 2 m tall, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Stem hairs hispid to villous, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Extrafloral nectary glands on petiole, Stipules inconspicuous, absent, or caducous, Leaves compound, Leaves bipinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets 5-9, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves glabrous or nearly so, Flowers solitary in axils, or appearing solitary, Inflorescences globose heads, capitate or subcapitate, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Bracteoles present, Flowers sessile or nearly so, Flowers actinomorphic or somewhat ir regular, Calyx 5-lobed, Petals united, valvate, Petals orange or yellow, Stamens 9-10, Stamens completely free, separate, Stamens long exserted, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Fruit a legume, Fruit stipitate, Fruit unilocular, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit elongate, straight, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit coriaceous or becoming woody, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit compressed between seeds, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit 11-many seeded, Seed with elliptical line or depression, pleurogram, Seeds ovoid to rounded in outline, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.

Leucaena retusa is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names littleleaf leadtree, goldenball leadtree, wahoo tree, and lemonball. It is native to Chihuahua and Coahuila in Mexico and Texas in the United States. It also occurs in New Mexico.

This plant is a small tree that can reach 7.5 m (25 ft) in height. The leaves are bright green to blue-green in color and each is divided into several leaflets. The spherical flowers are yellow to white in color. The trees flower in April through October and they tend to flower profusely after rain. The fruit is a legume pod up to 25 cm (10 in) in length. The wood is weak and breaks easily.

This tree grows in dry habitat and it is drought-tolerant. It is adapted to alkaline soils and full sunlight. It is often cultivated as an ornamental plant for its attractive appearance. It is easily grown from seed and it will reseed itself. It can even become weedy. It is not considered useful as a honey plant or for its wood.

Animals such as livestock and white-tailed deer find the herbage palatable. The seeds are also high in protein.