Caesalpinia gilliesii (Wall. ex Hook.) D.Dietr.

  • Authority

    Isley, Duane. 1975. Leguminosae of the United States: II. Subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (2): 1-228.

  • Family

    Caesalpiniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Caesalpinia gilliesii (Wall. ex Hook.) D.Dietr.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Shrub or tree, 1 - 5 m with glabrous foliage; twigs smooth or warty, becoming glandular towards inflorescence. Leafstalk 1-2 dm; pinnae paired or not, 8-12 pairs usually plus 1; leaflets 7-11 pairs, shortly petiolulate, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 3-5(-8) mm, 1.8-2.5 r, without secondary nervation, punctate along margin. Stipules persistent, small, ovate to fimbriate, leathery. Flowers in robust, terminal, conspicuously viscid racemes with both pubescence and stalked glands. Pedicels 1.5-3 cm; bracts conspicuous in bud, ca 1.5 cm, glandular-pubescent and finely fimbriate-margined; sepals separate to base, 1.5-2 cm, imbricate, the lower broader than others and partially enclosing them in bud; petals sulfur-yellow with orange markings, 2-3.5 cm, clawed; filaments red, much exserted, to 8(-9) cm. Legume elastically dehiscent, obliquely attached, oblong-lunate, flat, 6-12 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide; valves coriaceous, yellow-tan, conspicuously punctate, initially velutinous, terminating in an oblique beak.

  • Discussion

    Poinciana gilliesii Wall, ex Hook. (1829) Erythrostemon gilliesii (Wall, ex Hook.) Klotzsch (1844) C. gilliesii (Wall, ex Hook.) Benth. (1870) CN 2n = 24 (Covas and Schnack, 1946; Turner, 1956).

  • Distribution

    Texas to California, occasional elsewhere. Cult, ornamental and established in disturbed and ruderal situations. Common in towns; frequent in highway plantings in Texas. (March-)April-Aug.(-Nov.). Poinciana, Bird-of-Paradise. Argentina, widely planted and established in warm regions of New World, slightly in Africa; rarely n in conservatories.

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