Poinciana
Caesalpinia pulcherrima · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (355 studies) · ★★★★★
Poinciana, scientifically known as Caesalpinia pulcherrimia, is a vibrant ornamental shrub celebrated for its fiery red blooms. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, this plant holds significant ethnobotanical value. Various cultures utilize its leaves and flowers in traditional medicine to treat ailments ranging from inflammation to digestive issues and skin infections.
Names
Common Names
- Pride of Barbados
- Barbados flower-fence
- Barbados-pride
- dwarf poinciana
- flower-fence
- paradise-flower
- pride-of-Barbados
- Mexican Bird of Paradise
- Peacock Flower
- Red Bird of Paradise
- and flamboyan-de-jardin.
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- Poinciana elata
- Chivato del jardin
- Poinciana bijuga
- Poinciana pulcherrima
- Tabachín
- Tabachin
- Pájaro rojo del Paraiso
- Pequeño flamboyant
- Pájaro rojo del Paraíso
- Pajaro rojo del Paraiso
- Chivato del jardín
- Pequeno flamboyant
- Pajaro rojo del Paraíso
German:
- Pfauenstrauch
- Stolz von Barbados
- Pfauenstrauch
- Stolz von Barbados
French:
- Flamboyant
- Flamboyant
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Caesalpinia pulcherrimaSynonyms
- Poinciana pulcherrima f. flava
- Caesalpinia pulcherrima f. flava
- Caesalpinia pulcherrima var. insignis
- Caesalpinia hispida
- Poinciana hispida
- Poinciana alata
- Radackia amicorum
- Poinciana pulcherrima
- Poinciana pulcherrima var. flava
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and order Fabales, it is specifically situated in the Fabaceae family. Its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Caesalpinia, within which the species Caesalpinia pulcherrimna is categorized.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Fabales | WCVP |
| Family | Fabaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Caesalpinia | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning across several key regions. In Northern Africa, it can be found growing within the borders of Egypt. Its range extends to the Macaronesian islands, specifically including Cape Verde. Furthermore, the species is well-established throughout West Tropical Africa. This widespread presence is evidenced by its occurrence in Gambia, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Africa | Egypt | WCVP |
| Macaronesia | Cape Verde | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Gambia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ghana | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ivory Coast | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Liberia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mali | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mauritania | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Nigeria | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Niger | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as Pride of Barbados, possesses various morphological features that contribute to its medicinal profile. The leaves are bipinnate and delicate, providing a lush canopy for the vibrant blooms, while the woody stems offer a sturdy structural framework for the shrub. The reproductive cycle is marked by the development of elongated, flattened pods of Caesalpiniapulcherrimma, which eventually split open to release the dark, hard seeds contained within. Beneath the soil, the extensive roots serve to anchor the plant and facilitate the absorption of nutrients essential for its growth and therapeutic potential.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| leaf | Parasitology research (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| root | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seed | Heliyon (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Caesalpinia pulcherrima has 34 reported phytochemicals identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Pulcherralpin, bonducellin, 2,6-Dimethoxybenzoquinone, 3',7-Dimethoxy-3-hydroxyflavone, 6-Methoxypulcherrimin.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Pulcherralpin | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| bonducellin | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 2,6-Dimethoxybenzoquinone | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 3',7-Dimethoxy-3-hydroxyflavone | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 6-Methoxypulcherrimin | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 8-Methoxybonducellin | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| BETA-SITOSTEROL | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Benzyl 2,6-dimethoxybenzoate | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Dehydrovariabilin | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Dihydrobonducellin | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Pulcherralpin
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of natural products
bonducellin
- Dr. Duke
- Phytochemistry
2,6-Dimethoxybenzoquinone
- Dr. Duke
3',7-Dimethoxy-3-hydroxyflavone
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
6-Methoxypulcherrimin
- Dr. Duke
8-Methoxybonducellin
- Dr. Duke
BETA-SITOSTEROL
- Dr. Duke
Benzyl 2,6-dimethoxybenzoate
- Journal of natural products
Dehydrovariabilin
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
Dihydrobonducellin
- Phytochemistry
Activities
Caesalpinia pulcherrima has 296 reported activities identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antioxidant, 11B-HSD-Inhibitor, 5-HT-Inhibitor, 5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 11B-HSD-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-HT-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ACE-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ATPase-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Abortifacient | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Aldehyde-Oxidase-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Caesalpinia pulcherrima has 8 reported medicinal uses identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Plasmodium falciparum, bacterial infections, cancer stem cells, colon cancer, gastric cancer.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Plasmodium falciparum | Parasitology research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| bacterial infections | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer stem cells | PloS one (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| colon cancer | Journal of natural medicines (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| gastric cancer | Journal of natural medicines (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hepatitis | Phytotherapy research : PTR (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hepatocellular carcinoma | PloS one (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| influenza | Phytotherapy research : PTR (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum ether | Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| air-dried leaves | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cell suspension cultures | Phytochemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chloroform | Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chloroform extract | Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ethyl acetate soluble fraction of methanolic extracts | Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| extracts | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaf | Journal of natural medicines (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methanol extract | Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methanolic extract | Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |