Caesalpinia

Caesalpinia
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Caesalpinioideae
Tribe:	Caesalpinieae
Genus:	Caesalpinia L.
Type species
Caesalpinia brasiliensis L., 1753[1]
Species
See text.

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 Hoffmanseggia. Members of Caesalpinia are tropical or subtropical woody plants. It is named after the botanist Andrea Cesalpino.

The name Caesalpiniaceae at family level, or Caesalpinioideae at the level of subfamily, is based on this generic name.

Selected species

• Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb., 1832 - Grey Nicker (Pantropical)
• Caesalpinia cassioides Willd., 1809
• Caesalpinia conzattii (Rose) Standl., 1934
• Caesalpinia coriaria (Jacq.) Willd., 1799 - Divi-divi (Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, northern South America)
• Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alston, 1931 - Mysore Thorn (India)
• Caesalpinia echinata Lam., 1785 - Brazilwood (Brazil)
• Caesalpinia ferrea Mart. ex Tul. - Brazilian Ironwood, Leopard Tree
• Caesalpinia gilliesii (Wallich ex Hook.) D.Dietr., 1840 - Bird of Paradise^[2]
• Caesalpinia hildebrandtii (Vatke) Baill., 1883
• Caesalpinia kavaiensis H.Mann, 1867 - Uhiuhi (Hawaiʻi)
• Caesalpinia major (Medik.) Dandy & Exell, 1938 - Yellow Nicker (Pantropical)
• Caesalpinia mexicana A.Gray, 1862 - Mexican Holdback (southernmost Texas, Mexico)
• Caesalpinia merxmeullerana A.Schreib., 1980 (Namibia)
• Caesalpinia nhatrangense J.E.Vidal, 1976 (Vietnam)
• Caesalpinia paraguariensis (D.Parodi) Burkart, 1952 - Ibirá-Berá, Guayacaú Negro, Argentinian Brown Ebony (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay)
• Caesalpinia platyloba S.Watson, 1886
• Caesalpinea pluviosa DC., 1825 - 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 pulcherrima (L.) Sw., 1791 - Pride of Barbados
• Caesalpinia punctata Willd., 1805 - Quebrahacha, Kibrahacha in Aruba
• Caesalpinia reticulata
• Caesalpinia sappan L., 1753 - Sappanwood (Southeast Asia, Malay Archipelago)
• Caesalpinia spinosa (Molina) Kuntze, 1898 - Tara (Peru)
• Caesalpinia vesicaria L., 1753
• Caesalpinia violacea (Mill.) Standl., 1935^[2][3]

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.

References

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