Caesalpinia bonduc: gray nickerbean, grey nicker, guilandina seed, Indian nut, Mysore thorn, nickar bean, nicker bean, nicker nut, nickernut, nikkar nut, Pernambuco redwood

Common Names:

in English: ash-coloured nicker, bonduc, bonduc nut, Brazilian redwood, cockspur, fever nut, gray nickarnut, gray nickel, gray nicker, gray nickerbean, grey nicker, guilandina seed, Indian nut, Mysore thorn, nickar bean, nicker bean, nicker nut, nickernut, nikkar nut, Pernambuco redwood,

physic nut, poor man’s quinine, sappan liane, sea pearl, sea pod, yellow nicker

in Hawaii: hihikolo, kakalaioa

in Madagascar: vatolalaka

in Rodrigues Isl.: cadoque

in Southern Africa: knikkertjie, msoro

in Tanzania: mburuga, mkomwe, mnamu

in Yoruba: ayo, sayo, senwo, seyo olopon

in Latin America: Brasil cojones de gato, garrapata de playa, guacalote, guacalote amarillo, guacalote prieto, haba de San Antonio, jabilla, ojo de venado, quasha, taray, villa de mar

in India: avil, bagni, cakarakoti, capavalam, caretti, carivacantam, cayavalam, cetitta, curiyintu, curppuka, curppukakkoti,  gacca, gach-chakaya, gacha kaya, gachakayalu, gachcha, gachha, gachhaakaaya, gachika, gajaga, gajaga-kayi, gajega, gajga, gajikekayi, gajjege, gajjgada balli, gajjiga, gajjikai, gajjuga, gajkaayi, gajkai, gajuga, gataran, gatchakaaya, gatchkaya, gech-chakkay, gejjige balli, getsa kela, getsakaia, gil, gutsakai, heggajjiga, heggajjuga, heggejjuga, heggerjige, kaachaka (sagargota), kaccakkay, kaccarkoti, kaccukkay, kaccuram, kaccurankay, kaccurankoti, kachka, kalachikkaai, kalakunti, kalakunticceti, kalalmani, kalanchik-karu, kalanchikuru, kalanci, kalancikkuru, kalangu, kalankukkay, kalarci, kalarcikkay, kalarcikkoti, kalarcivittu, kalarkay, kalarkkay, kalarkodi, kalarkoti, kalavirutti, kalcuri, kalein, kaliccakkay, kaliccikkai, kalu vavuletiya, kanakam, kanappantupokkicceti, kanchaki, kanderi, kanja (sagargota), kantaki karanja, kantakikaranjah, kantikaranja, kantkarej, karanj, karanjava, karanjave, karanjin, karanjo, karanju, karanjwa, karanjwaa, karaunj, karbath, karccurankay, karcurakkoti, karcuram, kat-kalija, kat-karanj, katkaliji, katkaranch, katkaranj, katklija, katukarancam, kazhanchik- karu, kazhanji kuru, kazhanji veru, kazhar-shikkay, kazharchikkaai, kazharchikodi, kazhichi-kai, keccakkay, khar konda, kilinaval, kitta, kopakkitam, kotikaccikkoti, kotikkacci, kotikkalarci, kuberaakshi, kuberaksha, kuberakshi, kuberaksi (Kuber, God of Wealth in Hindu mythology, aksi, eyes), kulunje, kumburu wel, kumpika, kuperatcam, kuperatci, lataakaranja, latakaranjah, letaguti, mancirakam, manciram, maruti, mulal, mulalkalanku, mularci, mularcikkoti, naktamala, narumparuppu, nata, nata-karaja, natakaranj, nataphal, patalar, pentukam, punaikklaichchi, puti, putikarancam, puutikaranja, rahedo, rocanaikkottai, saagaragota, saagargota, sagar-gholah, sagargota, sagargoti, sagargotya (gotya = small stones), sagur-ghota, sanna gajjuga, sanna gejjuga, suka jambuka, sukajambuka, tampiraputpi, tapasi, tettan, tettiyan, thellagachha, tuticcam, ulankucakkay, ulankucam, utarikam, utarikkoti, vaccirapicakkay, vaccirapicam, vajjirapijam, vajrapijam, vaknuato, wael kumburu,yalakhi, yalakshi

in Indonesia: areuy mata hiyang, kate-kate, kemrunggi

in Japan: mayanupusu, shiro-tsubu

Malayan names: bondok, gorek, gorek-gorek, kelichi, kelubu, kuku tupai, renting, ulang

in Nepal: boksi kanda, boksi khanda, gainde kanda, karaunjee, karaunji

in Pakistan: katkaranj, khayah-i-iblis

in Papua New Guinea: kurere

in Philippines: kalumbibit, sabinit, singor

in Thailand: waat

in Tibetan: ka-ranydza

in Vietnam: mac meo, m[os]c m[ef]o, vu[oos]t h[uf]m

Floral Description:

According to Flora of Pakistan

A scandent or scrambling shrub, branches hairy, armed with straight prickles. Stipules large, foilaceous and lobed. Leaves 30-45 cm long, rachis with 1-2 recurved stipellate spines at the base of each pinna and scattered straight or recurved prickles between the pinnae, pinnae 6-8 pairs, opposite, 5-15 cm long. Leaflets 6-10 pairs on each pinna, opposite, 1.7-4.0 cm long, elliptic-oblong, obtuse, mucronate, more or less hairy, subsessile. Inflorescence axillary and terminal pedunculate raceme, 15-30 cm long. Pedicel 5 mm long, bracts and pedicel hairy with brown tomentum, bracts exceeding the buds. Calyx 5-7.5 mm long. Petals 1-1.5 cm long, oblanceolate, the upper smaller and sometimes spotted with red. Filaments flattened and hairy in the lower half. Pods 5-7.5 cm long, 3-5 cm broad, shortly stalked, densely covered with prickles. Seeds 1-2.

According to Flora of China

Climbers, prickly, yellowish pubescent throughout. Prickles straight or somewhat recurved. Leaves 30-45 cm; ra­chis with recurved prickles; pinnae 6-9 pairs, opposite; stipules deciduous, large, leaflike, usually lobed, lobes to 2 cm; leaflets 6-12 pairs, oblong, 1.5-4 × 1.2-2 cm, membranous, both sur­faces pubescent, base oblique, apex rounded to acute, mucro­nate. Racemes axillary, long pedunculate, densely flowered in upper part and sparsely so in lower part; bracts caducous at anthesis, reflexed, subulate, 6-8 mm, pubescent. Pedicels 3-5 mm. Sepals 5, ca. 8 mm, both sides ferruginous hairy. Petals yellowish; standard tinged with red spots, oblanceolate, clawed. Filaments short, hairy in basal part. Ovary hairy. Legume ob­long, 5-7 × 4-5 cm, leathery, apex rounded and with beak, swollen, with dense, slender spines 5-10 mm. Seeds 2 or 3, grayish, shiny, ovoid to globose

Chemical Constitutes

13,14-seco-Stigmasta-5,14-dien-3alpha-ol, 13,14-seco-Stigmasta-9(11),14-dien-3alpha-ol, 2-Acetoxycaesaldekarin e, alpha-Caesalpin, Bonducellin, Bonducellpin B, Bonducellpin C, Bonducellpin E, Bonducellpin F, Bonducellpin G, Brazilin, Caesaldekarin A, Caesaldekarin J, Caesalmin B, Caesalmin D, Caesalmin E, Caesalpinin C, Caesalpinin I, Caesalpinin K, Caesalpinin P, Caesalpinolide C, Caesalpinolide D, Caesalpinolide E, epsilon-Caesalpin, Neocaesalpin C, Neocaesalpin D, Pipataline

Activities and uses:

Seeds and leaves used to relieve colic, indigestion, fever, hydrocele, liver trouble, diarrhea and rheumatism; seed and decoctions of the leaves and roots taken to treat asthma, to avoid miscarriage; leaves, bark and roots anthelminthic, antiviral, febrifuge, rubefacient, to cure fever, jaundice, diarrhea, skin diseases, headache, chest pain. Leaves astringent, febrifuge, anthelmintic, emmenagogue; to cure bodyache in fever, pounded leaves mixed with coconut oil and rubbed on the body; leaf paste in coconut oil used for skin infection. Seeds antifungal, antibacterial, hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic, used in asthma, whooping cough, diabetes, chronic fever, malaria, swelling; oil from the seeds to treat rheumatism; kernels pounded, mixed with oil and applied to relieve bodyache; seed paste applied on boils; powdered seeds for healing wounds, tied on swollen testicles. Root anthelmintic, febrifuge and astringent, for venereal diseases; root decoction with honey used for fever. Veterinary medicine, seed paste applied locally for rheumatism; powdered seeds given for worms and fever. For snakebite, seed pulverized mixed in hot water and drunk. Fruit pulp a fish poison. Caution, taken in large doses it is believed to be poisonous.