Caesalpinia pulcherrima: Barbados flower fence, Barbados pride, bird of paradise flower, dwarf poinciana, flamboyant, flamboyant tree, flower-fence poinciana, flowering-fence, gold mohur, paradise-flower, peacock flower, peacock tree, poinciana, pride-of-Barbados

About 280 species, distributed in tropics and sub-tropics. Cultivated in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan, Yun­nan [native to South America; cultivated throughout the tropics]. This species is a valuable ornamental of tropical regions.

Common Names

in English: Barbados flower fence, Barbados pride, bird of paradise flower, dwarf poinciana, flamboyant, flamboyant tree, flower-fence poinciana, flowering-fence, gold mohur, paradise-flower, peacock flower, peacock tree, poinciana, pride-of-Barbados

in Latin America: angel sisa, carzazo, clavellina, clavellina colorado, fleur du paradis, flor del angel, flor de la Virgen, guacamaya, guacamayo, krere-krere, macata, pauwebloem, poincillade, rosa Santa Maria, sin k’in in Cambodia: dok fang, fang ham, kan gok meas

in China: chin feng hua, feng huang chang

in India: cekkimandaram, cemmayirkkonrai, channakeshava gida, chekkimandaram, chettimandaram, chinaturayi, cinnaturayi, cirontakam, cirontakamaram, cittimantarai, cittimantaram, eejimullu, gul-tora, guleturaa, guletura, gulu tora, hote seege, irattinakanti, kanjage, kapura maddi, kenchige, kencige, kendge, keneige, kenji gida, kenjige, kenjige mara, kenjigemara, kenjuga, kittimantaram, komari, kotinalal, krishanchura, krishnachuda, krishnachura, krishnachuudaa, maikkonrai, mailkondarai, mancika, mayikonnai, mayil-konai, mayilkonnai, mayilkonrai, mayirkkonrai, mayirkonrai, mayirpelavam, mayirpelavamaram, mayurakonnai, mayuram, mayuramaram, mucuppira, mucuppiramaram, muyarcevitakkonnai, muyarcevitam, nalal, nalligaane, narikkonrai, padangam, paidithangedu, pamidi tangedu, pamiditangedu, pamidithangedu, perumayirkonrai, peydi-tangedu, pillicarikai, pillicarikaimaram, pirayakacceti, piriyakam, ponmayirkkonrai, puccilakkonnai, pumalekkinam, puraiphul, ratanagandhi, rathnagandhi, ratna gandhi, ratnagandhi, ratnagandi, ratnaganhi, sankeshvara, sankeshwara, settimandaram, shankasur, sidhakhya, sidhanasha, sidheshwara, sinnathuraayi, sinnaturayi, sirumayirkonrai, tarra, techimandaram, teccimandaram, thuraayi, tsettimandaram, tsjetti-mandarum, torai, tuccimam, tuccimamaram, turayi, vatamatakki

in Indonesia: bunga merak, bungan merak, kembang merak (merak = peacock), kembang patra, kemerakan

in Japan: ô-gochyô

in Malaya: chana, jambul merak

in Nepal: areli, bhas bhul

in Philippines: bulaklak ng paraiso, caballero

in Thailand: khwaang yoi, som pho, haang nokyuung thai

in Vietnam: di[eej]p ta, di[eej]p c[us]ng, kangok meas, kim phuong, kim ph[uw][owj]ng

Floral Description:

According to Flora of Pakistan

Trees, shrubs and woody climbers. Leaves large, bipinnate. Flowers yellow or red, often showy. Racemes paniculate, in the upper leaf axils or terminal. Calyx teeth 5, imbricate in the bud, the lowest outside. Petals orbicular, clawed, imbri¬cate. Stamens 10, free. Ovary sessile, usually few ovuled. Pod various, sometimes covered with spines.

According to Flora of China

Shrubs or small trees. Branches green or farinose-green, smooth, with scattered, sparse prickles. Leaves 12-26 cm; pin­nae 4-8 pairs, opposite, 6-12 cm; petiolules short; leaflets 7-11 pairs, oblong or obovate, 1-2 cm × 4-8 mm, base oblique, apex emarginate, sometimes acute. Racemes subcorymbose, terminal or axillary, lax, to 25 cm. Pedicels unequal in length, 4.5-7 cm. Receptacle concave to turbinate, glabrous. Sepals 5, glabrous, lowest one ca. 1.4 cm, others ca. 1 cm. Petals orange-red or yel­low, orbicular, 1-2.5 cm, margin wavy, with claw subequal to limb in length. Stamens very far exserted; filaments red, 5-6 cm, thick and hairy in basal part. Ovary glabrous; style orange-yellow, long, 5-6.5 mm. Legume blackish brown when ripe, oblanceolate-oblong, narrow and thin, 6-10 × 1.5-2 cm, not winged, glabrous, indehiscent, apex rounded, upper suture ending in a sharp beak. Seeds 6-9.

Chemical Constitutes

(-)-alpha-Cadinol, (-)-beta-Caryophyllene epoxide, (-)-beta-Sitosterol, (2S)-5,7-Dimethoxy-3',4'-methylenedioxyflavanone, 2'-Hydroxy-2,3,4',6'-tetramethoxychalcone, 2,6-Dimethoxy-p-benzoquinone, 5,7-Dimethoxyflavone, 6-Methoxypulcherrimin, 6beta-Cinnamoyl-7beta-hydroxyvouacapen-5alpha-ol, 7-Hydroxycadalene, 8-Methoxybonducellin, Benzyl 2,6-dimethoxybenzoate, Bonducellin, Caesaldekarin A, Cyanin, Gallic acid, Isobonducellin, Isoliquiritigenin 4'-methyl ether, Isovouacapenol A, Isovouacapenol B, Isovouacapenol C, Isovouacapenol D, Isovouacapenol E, Leucodelphinidin, Lupenol, Lupeol acetate, Myricitrin, Neocaesalpin P, Neocaesalpin Q, Neocaesalpin R, Phytol, Pulcherralpin, Pulcherrimin, Pulcherrimin C, Pulcherrimin E, Pulcherrin A, Pulcherrin B, Pulcherrin C, Quercetin 3-O-L-rhamnoside, Quercimeritrin, Rutin, Sebacic acid, Spathulenol, Teucladiol

Activities and uses:

Toxins. Bark juice abortifacient and febrifuge, tonic, stimulant. Roots abortifacient, emmenagogue, used for infantile convulsions; root juice given to treat peptic ulcer. Flowers for intestinal worms, coughs and chronic catarrh. Fruits and leaves febrifuge, astringent. Leaves emmenagogue, purgative, antifungal, abortifacient, to relieve constipation; leaf paste applied to treat boils, pimples and ringworm. Seed paste applied on infected teeth and ringworm; fresh seeds decoction used for inflamed gums.