Caesalpinia pulcherrima

• Overview
• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
• More Info
• Notes

Overview

Prickly shrub or small tree from the West Indies with pinnate leaves. Note the typical legume (monocarpous but splits into two segments).

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Family Caesalpiniaceae

The Caesalpiniaceae are mostly tropical and subtropical trees and shrubs comprising about 150 genera and 2,200 species. The leaves are stipulate , alternate, and mostly pinnately compound but may be bipinnate or simple . Like the other legume families the petiole base is commonly enlarged into a pulvinus. The flowers are in racemes , spikes or cymes, are zygomorphic, and are mostly weakly to strongly perigynous. The perianth commonly consists of a calyx and corolla of 5 segments each; the petals are distinct , overlapping (i.e. , imbricate) in bud, with the posterior one (flag or banner ) innermost in position. The androecium usually consists of 1-10 distinct or variously united stamens, some of which are commonly reduced to nonfunctional staminodes. The pistil is simple, consisting of one style and stigma, and a superior ovary with one locule containing 2-many marginal ovules. The fruit is usually a legume. -- Gerald Carr

Subfamily Caesalpinioideae

Mostly trees or shrubs . Leaves mostly pinnate, sometimes bipinnate, rarely apparently simple . Corolla usually showy, zygomorphic, the petals imbricate, posterior (upper or banner ) petal innermost in bud. Stamens 10 or fewer, distinct , usually not showy, some commonly reduced to staminodes. Pollen released in monads . Seeds with u-shaped line (pleurogram) usually lacking. [Carr]

Genus 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.

About 280 species, distributed in tropics and sub-tropics."Caesalpinia". in Flora of Pakistan . Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Physical Description

Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 3,028 meters (0 to 9,934 feet).Mean = 311.720 meters (1,022.703 feet), Standard Deviation = 803.980 based on 508 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre.

Biology

Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Growth

Culture: Space 4-6' apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 5.6 • Maximum pH: 7.8

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11. (map)

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Caesalpinia pulcherrima var. flava Bailey and Rehder
2. Poinciana bijuga Lour.
3. Poinciana elata Lour.
4. Poinciana pulcherrima L.

Notes

Publishing author : L.H.Bailey and Rehder Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Lewis G.P., 1994-1995

Place of publication : Observ. bot. 166. 1791

Name verified on 26-Mar-2004 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 26-Mar-2004

Similar Species

Members of the genus Caesalpinia

There are approximately 298 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

C. acapulcensis (Cuasillo) · C. acinaciformis · C. acuminata · C. acutifolia · C. alternifolia · C. anacantha · C. ancashiana · C. andamanica · C. angolensis · C. angulata (Yerba Buena) · C. aphylla · C. argentina (Camiri) · C. armata · C. axillaris · C. bahamensis · C. bahamensis bahamensis · C. bahamensis orientensis · C. bahamensis rugeliana · C. bahamensis subsp. orientensis · C. bahamensis subsp. rugeliana · C. balansae · C. barahonensis · C. barbon · C. barkeriana · C. benthamiana · C. bessac · C. bonduc (Anoso) · C. bonduc var. caymanensis · C. bonducella var. aequiaculata · C. bonducella var. inaequiaculeata · C. bracteata · C. bracteosa (Catingueira) · C. bracteosa f. desertorum · C. broomensis · C. buchii · C. burmanica · C. cacalaco (Cascalote) · C. caesia · C. caladenia (Margarita) · C. calycina (Pau De Galinha) · C. cassioides · C. cassioides var. pardoana · C. caudata (Tailed Caesalpinia) · C. caymanensis · C. ciliata (Canique) · C. cinclidocarpus · C. claibornensis · C. coccinea · C. colimensis · C. coluteifolia (Parolillo) · C. conzatti · C. coriacea · C. coriara · C. coriaria (Cascalote) · C. coulterioides · C. crista · C. crista var. parvistipula · C. cucullata · C. culebrae (Smooth Yellow Nicker) · C. dasyrachis · C. dauensis · C. decapetala (Bois Sappan) · C. decapeyala · C. delphinensis · C. desertorum · C. dictamnoides f. punctata · C. digyna · C. dinteri · C. domingensis · C. drepanocarpa (Sickle-Pod Holdback) · C. ebano · C. echinata (Brazil Wood) · C. elata · C. elliptifolia · C. enneaphylla · C. epifanioi · C. epunctata · C. equinata · C. erianthera · C. eriostachya · C. eriostachys (Casa Iguana) · C. erythrocarpa · C. exilifolia · C. exostemma (Abejon) · C. exostemma exostemma · C. exostemma subsp. tampicoana · C. exostemma tampicoana · C. falcaria var. capitata · C. falcaria var. densiflora · C. falcaria var. pringlei · C. falcaria var. rusbyi · C. falcaria var. stricta · C. ferrea (Brazilian Ironwood) · C. ferrea var. ferrea · C. ferrea var. glabrescens · C. ferrea var. megaphylla · C. ferrea var. parvifolia · C. ferrea var. petiolulata · C. ferrominuta · C. fimbriata

Bibliography

• Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica. (F Jam)
• Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1960 and ndash;. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam. (F CambLVN)
• Boudet, G. et al. 1986. Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Mali. (L Mali)
• Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959 and ndash;. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae. (F China)
• Dyer, R. A. et al., eds. 1963 and ndash;. Flora of southern Africa. (F SAfr)
• Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage. (Zander ed13)
• Grierson, A. J. C. and D. J. Long. 1984 and ndash;. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim. (F Bhutan)
• Hara, H. et al. 1978 and ndash;1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal. (L Nepal)
• Howard, R. 1974 and ndash;1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. (F LAnt)
• Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening. (Dict Gard)
• Isely, D. 1975. Leguminosae of the United States: II. Subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25(2):45.
• Lewis, G. P. 1987. Legumes of Bahia. (Leg Bahia)
• Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. (Hortus 3)
• Maesen, L. J. G. van der and Sadikin Somaatmadja, eds. 1989. Pulses. Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA). (Pl Res SEAs) 1:83.
• McGuffin, M. et al., eds. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. (Herbs Commerce ed2)
• McVaugh, R. 1983 and ndash;. Flora Novo-Galiciana. (F NGalicia)
• Smith, A. C. 1979 and ndash;1991. Flora vitiensis nova. (F Viti)
• Smitinand, T. and K. Larsen, eds. 1970 and ndash;. Flora of Thailand. (F Thailand)
• Terrell, E. E. et al. 1986. Agric. Handb. no. 505. (AH 505)
• Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952 and ndash;. Flora of tropical East Africa. (F TE Afr)
• Ulibarri, E. A. 1996. Sinopsis de Caesalpinia y Hoffmannseggia (Leguminosae - Caesalpinioideae) de sudamérica. Darwiniana 34:326.
• Vidal, J. E. and Hul Thol. 1976. Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. (or, Sér. 3, Bot.) 27:79.

More Info

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Notes

Contributors

• BioSystematic Database of World Diptera, 7.0, 2005.
• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 and ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2007. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed March 23, 2007.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed January 24, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
• MBLWHOI Library: Universal Biological Index and Organizer. uBio.org accessed July 17, 2008.
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 26, 2008)

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal January 27, 2008:

• Australian National Herbarium
• , Australian National Herbarium
• Comisión nacional para el conocimiento y uso de la biodiversidad, Herbario del Instituto de Ecología, A.C., México
• Comisión nacional para el conocimiento y uso de la biodiversidad, Herbario del Instituto de Ecología, A.C., México
• GBIF-Spain, Jardín Botánico de Córdoba: Herbarium COA
• Herbarium of the University of Aarhus, The AAU Herbarium Database
• Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad
• , Biodiversidad de Costa Rica
• Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
• National Herbarium of New South Wales, Plants of Papua New Guinea
• School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium
• USDA PLANTS, USDA PLANTS Database

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2650857
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ILD-580
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13623647
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1164658-2
• GRIN Nomen Number: 8306
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 26511
• International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 1164658-
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PDFAB0L0L0
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: CAPU13
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 26659

Footnotes

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