Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb.
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
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Family
Caesalpiniaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Scandent shrub to 6 m long, profusely branching along main stem; stems cylindrical, to 2.5 cm diam., densely covered with prickles. Leaves 30-75 X 10-34 cm; pinnae 4-8 pairs, the leaflets 3-7 pairs per pinna, 2.5-5(-6.8) x 1.2-3 cm, ovate, lanceolate, oblong, or elliptic, chartaceous, glabrous or with scattered hairs along veins, midvein prominent on lower surface, the apex obtuse and mucronate, the base truncate, rounded to nearly cordate, the margins entire, revolute, ciliate; petiolules short, cylindrical; petioles and leaf rachises spiny, with a pair of recurved spines at the base of leaflets; stipules foliaceous, persistent, of 3-5 segments. Flowers functionally unisexual on long axillary and terminal racemes, the rachis rufous-tomentose and densely prickled; bracts lanceolate, 8-14 mm long, persistent. Calyx forming a nearly bell-shaped hypanthium, 4-6 mm long, rufous-tomentose, the sepals reflexed, oblong; petals yellow, 5.5-8 mm long, spatulate; stamens 10, only 4 fertile in staminate flowers, all sterile in pistillate flowers, the filaments tomentose at base; ovary sessile, rudimentary in staminate flowers, the stigma terminal. Legume oblong, 4-7.5 X 2-4 cm, semi-inflated, the valve densely spiny, tardily dehiscent through both sutures. Seeds few, 1.5-2 cm long, ovoid to rounded, smooth, gray, hard.
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Discussion
Common names: gray nicker, neckar, nickel, nicker nut, scorcher
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Distribution
Along sandy beaches. Johnson Bay (A4021), Little Lameshur Bay (A3932). Also on St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; throughout tropical coastal areas.
Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Virgin Gorda Virgin Islands South America|