Caesalpinia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, placed in the order Fabales. In its current circumscription the genus comprises approximately 10 accepted species of tropical and subtropical woody plants, distributed from southeastern Mexico south through Central America to Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, and across the Caribbean to Cuba, Hispaniola, and the Bahamas.
The genus has a complex taxonomic history: earlier treatments accommodated anywhere from 70 to 165 species, with membership fluctuating as species were moved to or from related genera such as Hoffmannseggia and Delonix. The former synonym Poinciana — once applied to what is now Delonix regia — was coined in honour of Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, the seventeenth-century French governor of Saint Kitts. The subfamily name Caesalpinioideae and the obsolete family name Caesalpiniaceae are both derived from this generic name.
Caesalpinia was named after the Italian botanist, physician, and philosopher Andrea Cesalpino (1519–1603), one of the earliest systematic botanists. The genus was formally published by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum in 1753, based on earlier work by the French botanist Charles Plumier, and is accordingly attributed Plum. ex L.
Several species are cultivated as ornamentals for their showy flowers. The best-known member, Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Pride of Barbados), is widely planted in tropical gardens worldwide.
Etymology
The name Caesalpinia honours Andrea Cesalpino (1519–1603), an Italian botanist, physician, and philosopher regarded as one of the founding figures of systematic botany. The genus was formally described by Linnaeus in 1753, crediting earlier work by Charles Plumier, and is attributed Plum. ex L.
Distribution
Caesalpinia is native to a belt of tropical and subtropical habitats stretching from southeastern Mexico and Central America south to Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, with additional Caribbean populations in Cuba, Hispaniola, and the Bahamas.
Taxonomy Notes
Membership in Caesalpinia has been highly unstable: past treatments included 70–165 species depending on whether taxa now placed in genera such as Hoffmannseggia were subsumed or segregated. The genus lent its name to the subfamily Caesalpinioideae and the former family Caesalpiniaceae. The synonym Poinciana, applied in early literature to what is now Delonix regia, commemorates Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy.
Cultural Uses
Some species of Caesalpinia are cultivated as ornamental plants for their decorative flowers, particularly in tropical gardens.
