Caesalpinia pulcherrima

"Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw. is a species of flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas. It could be native to the West Indies, but its exact origin is unknown due to widespread cultivation. Common names for this species include poinciana, peacock flower, red bird of paradise, Mexican bird of paradise, dwarf poinciana, pride of Barbados, flos pavonis, and flamboyant-de-jardin.[citation needed] The Hawaiian name for this plant is ʻohai aliʻi"

 Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw., Observ. Bot. (Swartz) 166 (1791).

Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw., Photo by  Cong Anh

its native range is SE. Mexico to Central America. It is used to treat unspecified medicinal disorders.

Latin name:

Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw.

Family:

Fabaceae Lindl.

Synonyms:

Caesalpinia hispida (G.Don) D.Dietr.

Caesalpinia pulcherrima f. flava (F.T.Hubb. & Rehder) H.St.John

Caesalpinia pulcherrima var. insignis Kuntze

Poinciana alata Burm.f.

Poinciana bijuga Burm.f.

Poinciana hispida G.Don

Poinciana pulcherrima L.

Poinciana pulcherrima var. flava F.T.Hubb. & Rehder

Poinciana pulcherrima f. flava (F.T.Hubb. & Rehder) O.Deg.

Poinciana pulchra Salisb.

Radackia amicorum Cham. & Endl.

Vietnamese name:

Kim phượng, Đuôi phượng, Điệp ta, Điệp vàng. 

English  name:

Merak, Cana, Barbados Pride, Red Bird of Paradise, Paradise.

Chinese  name:

金凤花 jin feng hua

Describtion:

Fast-growing, Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Red Bird of Paradise) is an upright evergreen thorny shrub or small tree boasting showy clusters of up to 40 brilliant gold-to-orange flowers from spring to fall (year-round in tropical climates). Borne at the branch tips, the bowl-shaped flowers, 2 in. across (5 cm), feature long red stamens that create an exotic look. Attractive to hummingbirds, they give way to flat seed pods, up to 4 in. long (10 cm), containing dark brown to black seeds. These pods dry and split open, releasing the dark brown seeds, sometimes explosively. The foliage of feathery green leaves is evergreen in frost free climates. Red Bird of Paradise is a fine choice for xeriscaping and makes a wonderful large accent shrub. It has sharp thorns along its stems and forms an effective thorny barrier.

Distribution: 

Andaman Is., Angola, Argentina Northeast, Arizona, Assam, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Bismarck Archipelago, Bolivia, Borneo, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Burundi, California, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Cayman Is., Central African Repu, China South-Central, China Southeast, Christmas I., Colombia, Cook Is., Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Himalaya, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Florida, French Guiana, Galápagos, Gambia, Ghana, Gulf of Guinea Is., Guyana, Hainan, Haiti, India, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jawa, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Laccadive Is., Laos, Leeward Is., Lesser Sunda Is., Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Maldives, Mali, Maluku, Marquesas, Marshall Is., Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico Southwest, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Niger, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rodrigues, Réunion, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Society Is., Solomon Is., Somalia, Southwest Caribbean, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Texas, Thailand, Trinidad-Tobago, Uganda, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Windward Is., Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre.

Cultivation:

Ecology:

Chemical and Pharmacology:

Cultivation

This attractive shrub flowers throughout the year. Once a year hard pruning is recommended to retain the vigor of the plant. Blooming is reduced when plant is under too much shade. It can be easily propagated by seeds.

Uses:

Edible Plant Parts (Edible Fruits)

Medicinal ( The Indonesians pound the roots and give it to children afflicted with convulsions. The bark is used to treat diarrhea. The flowers are claimed to be effective against intestinal worms and cure sores. The leaves are believed to have purgative properties and used to induce abortion and for fever. The west Indians pound the flowers and leaves into a decoction to treat fever. The seeds are used to cure breathing difficulty and chest pain.)

In  Vietnamm: Treatment of prolonged fever, cholera, milk benefits, bleaching, and conditioning (leaves, flowers, seeds for drinking).

Typus:

s.coll. [s.n.], Senegal K000264528 Unknown type material

Vogel [s.n.], Sierra Leone K000264529 Unknown type material

References:

https://www.ipni.org/n/1164658-2

http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1164658-2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesalpinia_pulcherrima

https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/1/7/1740.

https://www.gardenia.net/plant/caesalpinia-pulcherrima.

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200011981.