Caesalpinia vesicaria L.

Nicarago vesicaria (L.) Britton & Rose
Caesalpinia vesicaria L. Sp. PI381. 1753. Poinciana bijugata Jacq. Enuin. 20. 1760. Poinciana bijuga L. Sp. PI. ed. 2. 544. 1762. Caesalpinia bijuga Sw. Obs. 166. 1791. At acta Bancroftiana Bert,; CoUa, Hort, Ripul. 1. 1824.
A much-branched shrub or tree, up to about 7 m. high, the twigs and leaves glabrous, armed witli few prickles 4-8 mm. long, or unarmed. Leaves 1-2.5 dm. long; pirmae 2 or 3 pairs, stalked; leaflets 1-3 pairs, obliquely cuneate-ovate, subcoriaceous, 1-4 cm. long, subtruncate or emarginate at the apex, narrowed or obtuse at the base, dark green and shining above, pale and rather dull beneath; racemes simple or compound, mostly as long as the leaves or longer; pedicels slender, 6-9 mm. long; calyx 8-9 mm, long; petals a little longer than the calyx; stamens about as long as the petals, the filaments densely villous; legume 4—6 cm, long, 12-20 mm. wide, about 4 mm, thick, pubescent when young, becoming glabrous; seeds few, orbicular, shining, brown
Type locality: Tropical America [Jamaica],
Distribution; Yucatan; Bahamas; Jamaica; Cuba; Hispaniola. Reported from Curacao.