Caesalpinia
Encyclopedia
Caesalpinia is a genus of flowering plant
s in the legume family, Fabaceae
. Membership within the genus is controversial, with different publications including anywhere from 70 to 165 species, depending largely on the inclusion or exclusion of species alternately listed under genera such as Hoffmannseggia
. It contains tropical
or subtropical
woody plant
s. The generic name honors the botanist, physician
and philosopher Andrea Cesalpino
(1519-1603).
The name Caesalpinaceae
at family
level, or Caesalpinioideae
at the level of subfamily, is based on this generic name.
flower
s. Brazilwood
(C. echinata) is the source of a historically important dye
called brazilin
and of the wood for violin
bows
. Guayacaú Negro (C. paraguariensis
) is used for timber in several Latin American countries, especially Argentina
and Paraguay
. Commercially it is marketed as Argentinian Brown Ebony, mistakenly as Brazilian Ebony, and as a family group as Partidgewood. End use for this timber is typically high-end exotic hardwood flooring
, cabinetry and turnings
.
Caesalpinia pluviosa is being investigated as a possible anti-malarial.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the legume family, Fabaceae
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
. Membership within the genus is controversial, with different publications including anywhere from 70 to 165 species, depending largely on the inclusion or exclusion of species alternately listed under genera such as Hoffmannseggia
Hoffmannseggia
Hoffmannseggia is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae, known generally as rushpeas. These are pod-bearing herbs and subshrubs native to the Americas and southern Africa....
. It contains tropical
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
or subtropical
Subtropics
The subtropics are the geographical and climatical zone of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropical zone, which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, at latitudes 23.5°N and 23.5°S...
woody plant
Woody plant
A woody plant is a plant that uses wood as its structural tissue. These are typically perennial plants whose stems and larger roots are reinforced with wood produced adjacent to the vascular tissues. The main stem, larger branches, and roots of these plants are usually covered by a layer of...
s. The generic name honors the botanist, physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and philosopher Andrea Cesalpino
Andrea Cesalpino
Andrea Cesalpino was an Italian physician, philosopher and botanist....
(1519-1603).
The name Caesalpinaceae
Caesalpinioideae
Caesalpinioideae is a botanical name at the rank of subfamily, placed in the large family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. Its name is formed from the generic name Caesalpinia....
at family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
level, or Caesalpinioideae
Caesalpinioideae
Caesalpinioideae is a botanical name at the rank of subfamily, placed in the large family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. Its name is formed from the generic name Caesalpinia....
at the level of subfamily, is based on this generic name.
Selected species
- Caesalpinia bonducCaesalpinia bonducCaesalpinia bonduc, commonly known as Gray Nicker, is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that has a pantropical distribution. It is a vine-like shrub that reaches a length of and scrambles over other vegetation. Stems are covered in curved spines...
(L.) Roxb.William RoxburghWilliam Roxburgh was a Scottish surgeon and botanist. He has been called the Father of Indian Botany.-Early life:Roxburgh was born at Underwood in the parish of Craigie, Ayrshire. He studied medicine in Edinburgh...
– Grey Nicker (Pantropical) - Caesalpinia brachycarpa (Gray) Fisher – Broadpad nicker
- Caesalpinia calycina Benth.George BenthamGeorge Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
- Caesalpinia cassioides Willd.Carl Ludwig WilldenowCarl Ludwig Willdenow was a German botanist, pharmacist, and plant taxonomist. He is considered one of the founders of phytogeography, the study of the geographic distribution of plants...
- Caesalpinia caudata (Gray) Fisher – Tailed nicker
- Caesalpinia ciliata Bergius ex. Wikstr. – Broadpad nicker
- Caesalpinia conzattii (Rose) Standl.
- Caesalpinia coriaria (Jacq.Nikolaus Joseph von JacquinNikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin or Baron Nikolaus von Jacquin. was a scientist who studied medicine, chemistry and botany....
) Willd.Carl Ludwig WilldenowCarl Ludwig Willdenow was a German botanist, pharmacist, and plant taxonomist. He is considered one of the founders of phytogeography, the study of the geographic distribution of plants...
– Divi-divi (MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Central AmericaCentral AmericaCentral America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, the CaribbeanCaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, northern South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
) - Caesalpinia crista (L.) – Gray nicker
- Caesalpinia culebrae (Britt & Wilson) – Smooth yellow nicker
- Caesalpinia decapetalaCaesalpinia decapetalaCaesalpinia decapetala commonly known as the Mauritius or Mysore thorn or the cat's claw is a tropical tree species originating in India....
(Roth) Alston – Mysore Thorn (IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) - Caesalpinia drepanocarpa (Gray) – Sicklepod holdback
- Caesalpinia drummondii (Torr & Gray) – Dwarf Nicker
- Caesalpinia echinata Lam.Jean-Baptiste LamarckJean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de la Marck , often known simply as Lamarck, was a French naturalist...
– Brazilwood (BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
) - Caesalpinia ferrea Mart.Carl Friedrich Philipp von MartiusCarl Friedrich Philipp von Martius was a German botanist and explorer.Martius was born at Erlangen, where he graduated M.D. in 1814, publishing as his thesis a critical catalogue of plants in the botanic garden of the university...
ex Tul.Louis René TulasneLouis René Tulasne, aka Edmond Tulasne was a French botanist and mycologist who was born in Azay-le-Rideau. He originally studied law at Poitiers, but his interest later turned to botany. As a young man he accompanied botanist Auguste de Saint-Hilaire to South America to study the flora of Brazil...
- Brazilian Ironwood, Leopard Tree - Caesalpinia gilliesiiCaesalpinia gilliesiiCaesalpinia gilliesii is a shrub in the legume family. It is commonly known as bird of paradise, but it is not related to the bird of paradise genus Strelitzia. It grows to 3–4 m tall. The leaves are bipinnate, 10–15 cm long, bearing 3-10 pairs of pinnae, each with 6-10 pairs of leaflets...
(Wallich ex Hook.William Jackson HookerSir William Jackson Hooker, FRS was an English systematic botanist and organiser. He held the post of Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow University, and was the first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He enjoyed the friendship and support of Sir Joseph Banks for his exploring,...
) D.Dietr. – Bird of Paradise - Caesalpinia hildebrandtii (Vatke) Baill.Henri Ernest BaillonHenri Ernest Baillon was a French botanist and physician. He was born in Calais on November 30, 1827 and died in Paris on July 19, 1895.Baillon spent his professional life as a professor of natural history, and he published numerous works on botany...
- Caesalpinia jamesii (Torr & Gray) – James' holdback
- Caesalpinia kavaiensisCaesalpinia kavaiensisCaesalpinia kavaiensis is a rare species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. Common names include Uhiuhi , Kāwau , and Kea . It is threatened by invasive species, particularly feral ungulates.-Description:C...
H.MannHorace Mann Jr.-Biography:Horace Mann Jr. was born in Boston on February 25, 1844. He was the son of education reformer Horace Mann. While attending the Lawrence Scientific School he took lessons in zoology with Louis Agassiz and in botany with Asa Gray...
– Uhiuhi (HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
) - Caesalpinia lutea – Yellow Peacock
- Caesalpinia major (Medik.Friedrich Kasimir MedikusFriedrich Kasimir Medikus was a German physician and botanist.He was born at Grambach and became director of the University of Heidelberg and curator of the botanical garden at Mannheim...
) Dandy & Exell – Yellow Nicker (Pantropical) - Caesalpinia mexicanaCaesalpinia mexicanaCaesalpinia mexicana is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae. Common names include Mexican Holdback, Mexican Caesalpinia, and Tabachín del Monte. It is native to the extreme lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the United States and south to central Mexico...
A.GrayAsa Gray-References:*Asa Gray. Dictionary of American Biography. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928–1936.*Asa Gray. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998.*Asa Gray. Plant Sciences. 4 vols. Macmillan Reference USA, 2001....
– Mexican Holdback (southernmost TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
) - Caesalpinia merxmeulleranaCaesalpinia merxmeulleranaCaesalpinia merxmeullerana is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family. It is found only in Namibia. Its natural habitat is inland karsts.-References:* Craven, P. 2004. . . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
A.Schreib. (NamibiaNamibiaNamibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
) - Caesalpinia monensis (Britt) – Black nicker
- Caesalpinia nhatrangenseCaesalpinia nhatrangenseCaesalpinia nhatrangense is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family. It is found only in Vietnam.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
J.E.Vidal (VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
) - Caesalpinia pannosa Brandegee
- Caesalpinia paraguariensisCaesalpinia paraguariensisCaesalpinia paraguariensis is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
(D.Parodi) Burkart – Ibirá-Berá, Guayacaú Negro, Argentinian Brown Ebony (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay) - Caesalpinia parryi (Fisher) – Parry's holdback
- Caesalpinia pauciflora (Griseb.) – Fewflower holdback
- Caesalpinia peninsularis (Britt) – Peninsular holdback
- Caesalpinia phyllanthoides (Standl.) – Wait-a-bit vine
- Caesalpinia platyloba S.WatsonSereno WatsonSereno Watson was an American botanist.Graduating from Yale in 1847, he drifted through various occupations until, in California, he joined the Clarence King Expedition and eventually became its expedition botanist...
- Caesalpinia pluviosa DC. – False Brazilwood
- Caesalpinia pluviosa var. cabraliana G.P.Lewis
- Caesalpinia pluviosa var. intermedia G.P.Lewis
- Caesalpinia pluviosa var. paraensis (DuckeAdolpho DuckeAdolpho Ducke , also referred to as Adolfo Ducke and occasionally mis-spelled "Duque", was a notable entomologist, botanist and ethnographer of Amazonia....
) G.P.Lewis - Caesalpinia pluviosa var. peltophoroides (Benth.George BenthamGeorge Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
) G.P.Lewis - Caesalpinia pluviosa var. pluviosa
- Caesalpinia pluviosa var. sanfranciscana G.P.Lewis
- Caesalpinia portoricensis (Britt & Wilson) – Brown nicker
- Caesalpinia pulcherrimaCaesalpinia pulcherrimaCaesalpinia pulcherrima is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas. Its exact origin is unknown due to widespread cultivation...
(L.) Sw.Olof SwartzOlof Peter Swartz was a Swedish botanist and taxonomist. He is best known for his taxonomic work and studies into pteridophytes...
– Pride of Barbados - Caesalpinia punctata Willd. – Quebrahacha, Kibrahacha in ArubaArubaAruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
- Caesalpinia repens (Eastw.) – Creeping nicker
- Caesalpinia reticulata
- Caesalpinia sappan L. – Sappanwood (Southeast AsiaSoutheast AsiaSoutheast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, Malay ArchipelagoMalay ArchipelagoThe Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....
) - Caesalpinia spinosaCaesalpinia spinosaCaesalpinia spinosa Kuntze, commonly known as tara, is a small leguminous tree or thorny shrub native to Peru. C. spinosa is cultivated as a source of tannins based on a galloylated quinic acid structure...
(MolinaJuan Ignacio MolinaFr. Juan Ignacio Molina was a Chilean Jesuit priest, naturalist, historian, botanist, ornithologist and geographer...
) KuntzeOtto KuntzeOtto Carl Ernst Kuntze was a German botanist.-Biography:Otto Kuntze was born in Leipzig.An apothecary in his early career, he published an essay entitled Pocket Fauna of Leipzig. Between 1863 and...
– Tara (PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
) - Caesalpinia vesicaria L.
- Caesalpinia violacea (Mill.) Standl.
- Caesalpinia virgata (Fisher) – Wand holdback
- Caesalpinia wootonii (Britt.) – Wooton's holdback
Formerly placed here
|
Peltophorum dasyrhachis Peltophorum dasyrhachis is a deciduous flowering tree growing to 30 meters. It is native to Southeast Asia and introduced to Africa... (Miq.) Kurz (as C. dasyrhachis Miq.) Peltophorum dubium Peltophorum dubium is a tree in the Fabaceae family, and subfamily Caesalpinioideae. This species is known as the Ibirá-pitá in Argentina and Paraguay, arbol de Artigas in Uruguay, and Cana-fístula in Brazil. It is a large tree, growing around 20-25 meters, with a rectangular trunk.* Foliage:... (Spreng.) Taub. (as C. dubia Spreng.) Peltophorum pterocarpum Peltophorum pterocarpum is a species of Peltophorum, native to tropical southeastern Asia and a popularly ornamental tree grown around the world.-Description:It is a deciduous tree... (DC.) Backer ex K. Heyne (as C. ferruginea Decne. and C. inermis Roxb.) |
Uses
Some species are grown for their ornamentalOrnamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s. Brazilwood
Brazilwood
Caesalpinia echinata is a species of Brazilian timber tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. Common names include Brazilwood, Pau-Brasil, Pau de Pernambuco and Ibirapitanga . This plant has a dense, orange-red heartwood that takes a high shine, and it is the premier wood used for making bows for...
(C. echinata) is the source of a historically important dye
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
called brazilin
Brazilin
Brazilin is a red pigment obtained from the wood of the brazilwood family , and is also known as Natural Red 24. Brazilin has been used since at least the Middle Ages to dye fabric, and has been used to make paints and inks as well...
and of the wood for violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
bows
Bow (music)
In music, a bow is moved across some part of a musical instrument, causing vibration which the instrument emits as sound. The vast majority of bows are used with string instruments, although some bows are used with musical saws and other bowed idiophones....
. Guayacaú Negro (C. paraguariensis
Caesalpinia paraguariensis
Caesalpinia paraguariensis is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
) is used for timber in several Latin American countries, especially Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
. Commercially it is marketed as Argentinian Brown Ebony, mistakenly as Brazilian Ebony, and as a family group as Partidgewood. End use for this timber is typically high-end exotic hardwood flooring
Wood flooring
Wood flooring is any product manufactured from timber that is designed for use as flooring, either structural or aesthetic. Bamboo flooring is often considered a wood floor, although it is made from a grass rather than a timber....
, cabinetry and turnings
Woodturning
Woodturning is a form of woodworking that is used to create wooden objects on a lathe . Woodturning differs from most other forms of woodworking in that the wood is moving while a stationary tool is used to cut and shape it...
.
Caesalpinia pluviosa is being investigated as a possible anti-malarial.