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Caesalpiniaceae

(Family)

Overview

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Caesalpinioideae is a at the rank of subfamily, placed in the large family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. Its name is formed from the generic name Caesalpinia.

The Caesalpinioideae are mainly trees distributed in the moist tropics. Their flowers are zygomorphic, but are very variable. Nodulation is rare in this subfamily, and where it does occur nodules have a primitive structure.

Because the Papilionoideae and Mimosoideae arose from within the Caesalpinioideae,1] the Caesalpinioideae is paraphyletic. Therefore, it is likely to be split into several subfamilies, although it is not yet clear what those subfamilies should be.[1]

In some classifications, for example the Cronquist system, the group is recognized at the rank of family, Caesalpiniaceae.

The genera may be classified in four tribes, Caesalpinieae, Cassieae, Cercideae and Detarieae. The tribe Cercideae has sometimes been included in the subfamily Faboideae (aka Papilionoideae) in the past.

Tribe Caesalpinieae

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Tribe Cassieae

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Tribe Cercideae

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Tribe detarieae

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About 81 genera of predominantly African distribution. See main article for details.

Photos

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Taxonomy

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The Family Caesalpiniaceae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Afzelioxylon

[more]

Aldina

Aldina is a genus of plant from Venezuelan Amazonia, of the family . A new species from the Amazonian lowland forest. Located in lowland humid forests. [more]

Androcalymma

[more]

Anthonotha

Anthonotha is a genus of in the Fabaceae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Apalatoa

[more]

Apuleia

[more]

Arapatiella

Arapatiella is a genus of in the Fabaceae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Arcoa

Arcoa Communication Co. (zh: 全虹企業股份有限公司) is one of the top four mobile phone distributors in Taiwan. [more]

Barklya

[more]

Barnebydendron

[more]

Baryxylum

[more]

Batesia

[more]

Bauhinia

Trees, shrubs or climbers. Leaves alternate, simple, usually consisting of two lobes or almost bifoliolate with midrib between the two leaflets produced as a small spur. Flowers are showy, arranged in simple or panicled, terminal or axillary racemes. Hypanthium sometimes long and cylindrical, sometimes short and turbinate. Calyx entire or spathaceous, or cleft into two or five teeth. Petals 5, slightly unequal, narrowed at the base into a claw, variously coloured. Stamens 10, or reduced to 5 or there, filaments free or shortly connate, filiform, anthers versatile, Dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary seated on a stalk (gynophore), ovules many, style long or short and usually curved, stigma capitate, fruit a linear pod, dehiscent or indehiscent.[1] [more]

Brachystegia

Brachystegia is genus of tree of the sub-family that is native to tropical Africa. Trees of the genus are commonly known as Miombo, and are the predominant tree in the Miombo woodlands of central and southern Africa. [more]

Brasilettia

[more]

Brownea

Brownea is a genus of about 30 species in the family , subfamily Caesalpinioideae. The genus is native to tropical regions of the Americas. The species are shrubs and trees growing to 20 m tall. [more]

Browneopsis

Browneopsis is a genus of in the Fabaceae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Caesalpinia

Trees, shrubs and woody climbers. Leaves large, bipinnate. Flowers yellow or red, often showy. Racemes paniculate, in the upper leaf axils or terminal. Calyx teeth 5, imbricate in the bud, the lowest outside. Petals orbicular, clawed, imbricate. Stamens 10, free. Ovary sessile, usually few ovuled. Pod various, sometimes covered with spines.[2] [more]

Caesalpinioxylon

[more]

Caesalpinites

[more]

Campsiandra

[more]

Candolleodendron

[more]

Cansenia

[more]

Cantuffa

[more]

Cardenasia

[more]

Casparea

[more]

Casparia

[more]

Cassia

Trees, shrubs, herbs. Leaf paripinnate or rarely reduced to phyllode; stipules of various shapes, petiolar glands often present. Inflorescence axillary or terminal raceme, terminal panicle or flowers subsolitary axillary; bracts and bracteoles variable. Calyx 5, imbricate, tube short. Petals 5, imbricate, subequal or lowermost larger. Stamens 10, all perfect or subequal or the upper ones smaller or imperfect or only 5 stamens; anthers uniform or upper ones smaller, dehiscing by an apical pore or short slit. Ovary sessile or stipitate, ovules numerous, style with terminal stigma. Fruit variable, terete or compressed, membranous or woody, often 2 valved, sometimes indehiscent, rarely winged lengthwise. Seeds mostly compressed, endospermous.[3] [more]

Cathartocarpus

[more]

Caulotretus

[more]

Cavaraea

[more]

Cenostigma

[more]

Ceratonia

Ceratonia is the name of a of trees, endemic to the Mediterranean region. It is of the family Fabaceae and subfamily Caesalpinioideae. [more]

Cercidium

Parkinsonia ( Cercidium) is a genus of about 12 species of in the family Fabaceae, native to semi-desert regions of Africa and the Americas. [more]

Cercis

Cercis, or Redbuds, is a genus of about 6-10 species in the subfamily of the pea family Fabaceae, native to warm-temperate regions. They are small deciduous trees or large shrubs, characterised by simple, rounded to heart-shaped leaves and pinkish-red flowers borne in the early spring on bare leafless shoots. [more]

Chamaecrista

Chamaecrista (sensitive pea ) is the name of a of legumes. Specifically, within the legumes it is in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Several species are capable of rapid plant movement. [more]

Chamaefistula

[more]

Chamaesenna

[more]

Cladotrichium

[more]

Conzattia

[more]

Copaiba

Copaiba is a stimulant obtained from several pinnate-leaved South American leguminous trees (genus Copaifera). The thick, transparent exudate varies in color from light gold to dark brown, depending on the ratio of resin to essential oil. Copaiba is used in making varnishes and lacquers. The hydrocarbons in copaiba are terpenes, which are made by plants from isoprene, a "five-carbon-atom building block, so they always contain carbon atoms in multiples of five. Pinene is one of several useful 10-carbon terpenes. It is commonly known as turpentine. Heated up, terpenes break down into methanol (CH3OH) and other simple compounds useful for fuel and as raw materials in the chemical industry." [more]

Copaifera

Copaifera is a of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. [more]

Coulteria

[more]

Courbaril

[more]

Cowellocassia

[more]

Crudia

Crudia is a of legume in the Fabaceae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Cynometra

Cynometra is genus of tropical forest trees with a pantropical distribution. It is particularly important as a forest component in west and the neotropics. Cynometra alexandri (muhimbi) is a familiar timber tree of central and east Africa. The genus is a member of the sub-family Caesalpinioideae. [more]

Delonix

The Delonix forms part of the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The members of the genus are flowering trees, native to Madagascar and east Africa. By far the best known in the Royal Poinciana, Delonix regia. [more]

Dicorynia

[more]

Dimorphandra

Dimorphandra is a genus of in the Fabaceae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Diptychandra

[more]

Ditremexa

[more]

Ecuadendron

Ecuadendron is a genus of in the Fabaceae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Elizabetha

[more]

Eperua

[more]

Erythrophleum

Erythrophleum is a genus of in the Fabaceae family. A partial list of species includes: [more]

Gleditsia

Gleditsia is a of locust trees in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae, native to North America and Asia. The Latin name commemorates Gottlieb Gleditsch, director of the Berlin Botanical Gardens, who died in 1786. [more]

Goniorrhachis

[more]

Grimaldia

[more]

Guaymasia

[more]

Guibourtia

Guibourtia is a genus in the family Fabaceae (legume family). It contains 16 species, native to tropical regions of Africa (13 species) and South America (3 species). They occur in swampy or periodically inundated forests, as well as near rivers or at lakeshores. [more]

Guilandina

[more]

Hermesias

[more]

Heteroflorum

[more]

Heterostemon

[more]

Hoffmannseggia

[more]

Hoffmanseggia

[more]

Hymenaea

Hymenaea is a genus in the family Fabaceae (legume family). Of fourteen living plant species in the genus, all but one are native to the tropics of the Americas, with one additional species (Hymenaea verrucosa) on the east coast of Africa. The genus is distributed through the Caribbean islands, and from southern Mexico to Brazil. In Colombia the trees are called algarrobo, and in Peru azcar huayo. The Brazilian name is jatob. [more]

Jacqueshuberia

Jacqueshuberia is a genus of in the Fabaceae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Labichea

[more]

Laboucheria

[more]

Larrea

Larrea is a of five species of New World evergreen shrubs that includes the Creosote bush Larrea tridentata of North America and the Jarillas of South America. [more]

Lecointea

Lecointea is a genus of in the Fabaceae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Libidibia

[more]

Lysiphyllum

[more]

Macrolobium

Macrolobium is a genus in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. [more]

Maniltoa

Maniltoa is a genus of in the Fabaceae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Martiodendron

[more]

Martiusia

[more]

Melanosticta

[more]

Melanoxylum

[more]

Mezonevron

[more]

Moldenhawera

[more]

Palmerocassia

[more]

Paloue

[more]

Paloveopsis

[more]

Parkinsonia

Parkinsonia ( Cercidium) is a genus of about 12 species of in the family Fabaceae, native to semi-desert regions of Africa and the Americas. [more]

Peiranisia

[more]

Peltogyne

Purpleheart (Peltogyne) is a genus of 23 species of in the family Fabaceae, native to tropical regions of Central and South America, where they occur in tropical rainforest. [more]

Peltophorum

Peltophorum is a genus of between 515 species of in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. The genus is native to tropical regions across the world. The species are medium-sized to large trees growing up to 15-25 m (rarely 50 m) tall. [more]

Petalogyne

[more]

Petalostylis

[more]

Phanera

[more]

Phyllocarpus

[more]

Piliostigma

[more]

Poeppigia

[more]

Poincianella

[more]

Pomaria

The name Pomaria can refer to: [more]

Pterolobium

[more]

Recordoxylon

[more]

Rhetinophloeum

[more]

Schizolobium

[more]

Schnella

[more]

Sclerolobium

Sclerolobium is a genus of in the Fabaceae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Sebipira

[more]

Senna

[more]

Siliquastrum

[more]

Stahlia

Stahlia is a genus of legume in the Fabaceae family, containing the single species Stahlia monosperma (Cbana Negra or Cbana Polisandro). [more]

Stenodrepanum

[more]

Storckiella

Storckiella is a genus of in the Fabaceae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Swartzia

Swartzia is a genus of in the Fabaceae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Tachigali

Tachigali is a genus in the legume family (Fabaceae). [more]

Tounatea

[more]

Trachylobium

[more]

Vouapa

[more]

Zollernia

Zollernia is a genus of the family native to Central and South America. Zollernia are trees or shrubs that flower annually. [more]

At least 14 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Zollernia.

More info about the Genus Zollernia may be found here.

References

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  1. ^ a b Martin F. Wojciechowski, Johanna Mahn, and Bruce Jones (2006). "Fabaceae". The Tree of Life Web Project.

Footnotes

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  1. "Bauhinia". in Flora of Pakistan . Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
  2. "Caesalpinia". in Flora of Pakistan . Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
  3. "Cassia". in Flora of Pakistan . Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Sources

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Last Revised: November 19, 2008