Caesalpinia pulcherrima

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Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Caesalpinia pulcherrima at the Desert Demonstration Garden in Las Vegas
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Caesalpinia
Species: C. pulcherrima
Binomial name
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
(L.) Sw.
Synonyms

Poinciana pulcherrima L.[1]

Caesalpinia pulcherrima is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas. It could be native to the West Indies,[2] but its exact origin is unknown due to widespread cultivation.[1] Common names for this species include Poinciana, Peacock Flower, Red Bird of Paradise, Mexican Bird of Paradise, Dwarf Poinciana, Pride of Barbados, and flamboyan-de-jardin.

Description

Buds of Peacock Flower at Kerala

It is a shrub growing to 3 m tall. The leaves are bipinnate, 20–40 cm long, bearing 3-10 pairs of pinnae, each with 6-10 pairs of leaflets 15–25 mm long and 10–15 mm broad. The flowers are borne in racemes up to 20 cm long, each flower with five yellow, orange or red petals. The fruit is a pod 6–12 cm long.

Symbolism

Red Bird of Paradise is the national flower of the Caribbean island of Barbados, and is depicted on the Queen's personal Barbadian flag.

Uses

Food

All seeds of Caesalpinia are poisonous. However the seeds of some species are edible before the seed reach maturity (e.g immature seeds of C. pulcherrima) or with treatment (C. bonduc toxicity is reduced after roasting).[3]

Medicinal

Maroon medicine men in Suriname have long known some of the medicinal uses for Caesalpinia pulcherrima, which is known as ayoowiri. Four grams from the root is also said to induce abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy.[4][5]

Ornamental

C. pulcherrima is the most widely cultivated species in the genus Caesalpinia. It is a striking ornamental plant, widely grown in domestic and public gardens and has a beautiful inflorescence in yellow, red and orange. Its small size and the fact that it tolerates pruning well allows it to be planted in groups to form a hedgerow; it can be also used to attract hummingbirds.[6]

Names

Common names for this species in other languages include

  • Kannada: Kenjige
  • Konkani: Ratnagandhi Phoolor "meshae phool"
  • Malayalam: Settimandaram or Rajamalli
  • Manipuri: Krishnachura

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Caesalpinia pulcherrima.
Wikispecies has information related to: Caesalpinia pulcherrima
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Taxon: Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2004-03-26. Retrieved 2010-12-03. 
  2. ↑ "Tropical Flower Guide". Retrieved 30 November 2012. 
  3. ↑ [books.google.com.bn/books?id=-J-YxItyrHEC&pg=PA97&lpg=PA97&dq=Caesalpinia+pulcherrima+edible&source=bl&ots=jqRMjam2OX&sig=w6ls5yU90D5KuCmvdIaWsTIlIuQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qNP7UbXaJMTFkwWUgYGIAQ&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Caesalpinia pulcherrima edible&f=false] Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants By Lewis Nelson, Richard D. Shih, Michael J. Balick
  4. ↑ Counter, S. Allen (2006-07-24). "Amazon mystery: A medicine man understood the secrets of this plant long before we did. How?". The Boston Globe. 
  5. ↑ Schiebinger, Londa L. (2004). Plants and empire: colonial bioprospecting in the Atlantic world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-674-01487-9. 
  6. ↑ Frisch, J.D. & Frisch, C.D., Aves Brasileiras e Plantas que as atraem, São Paulo: Dalgas Ecotec, 2005, 398, ISBN 978-85-85015-07-7

External links

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