Caesalpinia

Caesalpinia
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Caesalpinioideae
Tribe:	Caesalpinieae
Genus:	Caesalpinia L.
Type species
Caesalpinia brasiliensis L.
Species
See text.
Synonyms
Biancaea Tod. Brasilettia (DC.) Kuntze Denisophytum R.Vig. Poinciana L. Ticanto Adans.

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Caesalpinia sappan

Caesalpinia is a genus of flowering plants 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 plants. 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.

Selected species

• Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb. – Grey Nicker (Pantropical)
• Caesalpinia brachycarpa (Gray) Fisher – Broadpad nicker
• Caesalpinia calycina Benth.
• Caesalpinia cassioides Willd.
• Caesalpinia caudata (Gray) Fisher – Tailed nicker
• Caesalpinia ciliata Bergius ex. [Wikstr.]] – Broadpad nicker
• Caesalpinia conzattii (Rose) Standl.
• Caesalpinia coriaria (Jacq.) Willd. – Divi-divi (Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, northern South America)
• Caesalpinia crista (L.) – Gray nicker
• Caesalpinia culebrae (Britt & Wilson) – Smooth yellow nicker
• Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alston – Mysore Thorn (India)
• Caesalpinia echinata Lam. – Brazilwood (Brazil)
• Caesalpinia enneaphylla Roxb.
• Caesalpinia ferrea Mart. ex Tul. – Brazilian Ironwood, Leopard Tree
• Caesalpinia gilliesii (Wallich ex Hook.) D.Dietr. – Bird of Paradise
• Caesalpinia hildebrandtii (Vatke) Baill.
• Caesalpinia jamesii (Torr & Gray) – James' holdback
• Caesalpinia kavaiensis H.Mann – Uhiuhi (Hawaii)
• Caesalpinia lutea – Yellow Peacock
• Caesalpinia major (Medik.) Dandy & Exell – Yellow Nicker (Pantropical)
• Caesalpinia mexicana A.Gray – Mexican Holdback (southernmost Texas, Mexico)
• Caesalpinia merxmeullerana A.Schreib. (Namibia)
• Caesalpinia minax Hance
• Caesalpinia monensis (Britt) – Black nicker
• Caesalpinia nhatrangense J.E.Vidal (Vietnam)
• Caesalpinia pannosa Brandegee
• Caesalpinia paraguariensis (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.Watson
• Caesalpinia pluviosa DC. – False Brazilwood
  • Caesalpinia pluviosa var. cabraliana G.P.Lewis
  • Caesalpinia pluviosa var. intermedia G.P.Lewis
  • Caesalpinia pluviosa var. paraensis (Ducke) G.P.Lewis
  • Caesalpinia pluviosa var. peltophoroides (Benth.) G.P.Lewis
  • Caesalpinia pluviosa var. pluviosa
  • Caesalpinia pluviosa var. sanfranciscana G.P.Lewis
• Caesalpinia portoricensis (Britt & Wilson) – Brown nicker
• Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw. – Pride of Barbados
• Caesalpinia punctata Willd. – Quebrahacha, Kibrahacha in Aruba
• Caesalpinia reticulata
• Caesalpinia sappan L. – Sappanwood (Southeast Asia, Malay Archipelago)
• Caesalpinia spinosa (Molina) Kuntze – Tara (Peru)
• Caesalpinia vesicaria L.
• Caesalpinia violacea (Mill.) Standl.
• Caesalpinia wootonii (Britt.) – Wooton's holdback

Formerly placed here

Balsamocarpon brevifolium Clos (as C. brevifolia (Clos) Benth.) Conzattia multiflora (B.L.Rob.) Standl. (as C. multiflora B.L.Rob.) Haematoxylum dinteri (Harms) Harms (as C. dinteri Harms) Hoffmanseggia drepanocarpa A.Gray (as C. drepanocarpa (A.Gray) Fisher) Hoffmannseggia drummondii Torr. & A.Gray (as C. drummondii (Torr. & A.Gray) Fisher) Hoffmannseggia microphylla Torr. (as C. virgata Fisher) Hoffmannseggia repens (Eastw.) Cockerell (as C. repens Eastw.) Hoffmannseggia viscosa (Ruiz & Pav.) Hook. & Arn. (as C. viscosa (Ruiz & Pav.) Fisher)

Moullava spicata (Dalzell) Nicolson (as C. spicata Dalzell) Parkinsonia praecox subsp. praecox (as C. praecox Ruiz & Pav.) Peltophorum acutifolium (J.R.Johnst.) J. R. Johnst. (as C. acutifolia J.R.Johnst.) Peltophorum dasyrhachis (Miq.) Kurz (as C. dasyrhachis Miq.) Peltophorum dubium (Spreng.) Taub. (as C. dubia Spreng.) Peltophorum pterocarpum (DC.) Backer ex K. Heyne (as C. ferruginea Decne. and C. inermis Roxb.) Pomaria rubicunda (Vogel) B.B.Simpson & G.P.Lewis (as C. rubicunda (Vogel) Benth.) Stahlia monosperma (Tul.) Urb. (as C. monosperma Tul.)

Uses

Some species are grown for their ornamental flowers. 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 antimalarial medication.

External links

• USDA PLANTS Profile