Peacock flower, Pride of Barbados
Caesalpinia pulcherrima is a species of flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas although its exact origin is unknown due to widespread cultivation.
Common names for this species include peacock flower, pride of Barbados.
It is the national flower of the Carribbean island of Barbados.
It is a shrub growing up to 3 -5 m tall. Depending upon the climate, it varies from evergreen to semi-evergreen in nature. This species is more sensitive to cold than others. The leaves are bipinnate, the flowers are borne in racemes, each flower with five yellow, orange, or red petals. The fruit is a pod 6–12 cm long.
All seeds of Caesalpinia are poisonous. However, the seeds of some species are edible before they reach maturity.
The leaves, flower, bark, and seeds of C. pulcherrima were also used by American Indians in traditional medicine as abortifacients and for suicide by enslaved peoples.
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