Dwarf poinciana
StarCaesalpinia pulcherrima
Synonyms: Poinciana pulchra, Radackia amicorum, Caesalpinia hispida, Caesalpinia pulcherrima f. flava, Poinciana alata, Poinciana hispida, Poinciana pulcherrima, Caesalpinia pulcherrima var. insignis, Poinciana pulcherrima var. flava, Poinciana pulcherrima f. flava
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In the Caribbean and Mexico, Caesalpinia pulcherrima has been used by traditional healers for centuries; the Maya of Yucatán and traditional Mexican herbalists employ leaf and flower decoctions as a febrifuge, for menstrual complaints, and for skin conditions (Arvigo and Balick, 1993; Heinrich et al., 1998). In Caribbean ethnomedicine the bark and seeds have been used as a gastrointestinal remedy and the flowers as an expectorant for chest complaints (Ayensu, 1981).
Gallery
Botanical Description
Caesalpinia pulcherrima, commonly known as pride of Barbados, peacock flower, dwarf poinciana or red bird of paradise, is a brilliantly flowered, fast-growing evergreen shrub or small tree of the family Fabaceae (subfamily Caesalpinioideae), native to the West Indies and tropical America and widely cultivated and naturalized throughout the tropics and subtropics. The plant typically reaches 2–5 m in height, with slender, green to grey-brown branches that are armed with scattered, short, recurved prickles. The leaves are alternate, bipinnately compound, 20–40 cm long, with 4–9 pairs of pinnae, each pinna bearing 6–12 pairs of oblong, light-green leaflets 1–2 cm long. The exceptionally showy flowers are 2.5–4 cm across and arranged in elongate, erect terminal racemes 15–30 cm long; each flower has five clawed, crinkled-edged petals (the uppermost largest), usually flaming orange and yellow but red, pure yellow or pink in cultivated forms, and ten long-exserted scarlet stamens that double the flower's apparent diameter. The fruit is a flat, oblong legume 7–12 cm long, ripening dark brown and dehiscent.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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