Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw.

  • Authority

    Isley, Duane. 1975. Leguminosae of the United States: II. Subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (2): 1-228.

  • Family

    Caesalpiniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw.

  • Description

    Species Description - Unarmed or mildly prickly, glabrous to glaucous eglandular shrub or small tree. Leafstalk 1.5-3(-4) dm; pinnae 5-8(-10) pairs; leaflets 6-10 pairs, petioluled, elliptic to obovate, 1-2.5 cm, 1.7-2.2 r, pale and with evident nervation below. Prickles present or not on branches and leaf rachis, usually absent in cultivated forms. Flowers in elongate terminal racemes, 1-2 dm. Pedicels 4-6 cm at anthesis, not jointed; sepals unequal, orange-red, the outer cucullate, enclosing the others in bud, 1-1.4 cm; corolla yellow-orange or yellow, turning red in age or not, the petals somewhat irregular, 1.5-2 cm, obovate, clawed, marginally fringed, the standard smallest with a tubular claw; filaments red, long-exserted to 5 cm. Legume elastically dehiscent, obliquely oblong or oblanceolate, flat, 6-10(-12) cm long, 1.4-2 cm wide, obliquely beaked; valves dark brown, coriaceous.

  • Discussion

    Poinciana pulcherrima L. (1753) CN n = 12 (Bir and Kumari, 1973); 2n = 24 (Tixier, 1965; Senn, 1938a). And others with base number 12. In addition to the usual yellow-orange form of Caesalpinia pulcherrima, there are cultivated in South Florida pink-flowered and pure yellow-flowered phenotypes (George Avery, in litt.). I have seen no California specimens but Elizabeth McClintock (in litt.) says that this species is listed in nursery offerings in that state. Although C. pulcherrima in the tropics is most prized as an ornamental, it finds miscellaneous medical uses tabulated by Uphof (1968).

  • Distribution

    Peninsular Florida, s Texas, Arizona, and probably California. Cult, ornamental and occasionally naturalized. March-, or essentially all year. Poinciana, Bird-of-Paradise flower, Barbados-pride. Widely cult, and established in tropics and warm regions; origin uncertain, probably tropical America.