Caesalpinia crista

Wood Gossip, Fever nut, Bonduc nut

Fabaceae Potential hazards — see below

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iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Jamee Moulton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Medicine

CAUTION: The seeds are poisonous.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It suits tropical regions. It grows in rainforests and mangrove swamps. It needs a rich well-drained soil and a sunny location. It is damaged by drought and frost. It grows on mountain slopes in southern China between 400-1,500 m above sea level.

Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Ryuku Islands, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam,

Countries: Australia, Brunei, China, Fiji, Micronesia, Indonesia, India, Japan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Laos, Sri Lanka, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Palau, Solomon Islands, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Taiwan, Vietnam, Vanuatu, Samoa

How to Identify

A half woody climber. It may or may not have spines. It grows 3 m high and spreads 3 m wide. The leaves are compound and there are usually curved spines underneath. There are 2-10 leaflets along 2-5 pairs of leaf divisions. The leaflets are 1.5-10 cm long and 1-4 cm wide. The flowers have 5 petals. One petal is yellow and the others are yellow with red veins. They are 5-9 mm long. The fruit is a pod. It is dark brown and 4-7.5 cm long by 2.5-3.5 cm wide. There is usually one dark brown seed. It is 1.5-2.5 cm long.

How to Grow

Plants can be grown from seed. The seed need treatment before planting.

Propagation: Seed - pre-soak for 12 - 24 hours in warm water prior to sowing. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until large enough to plant out. Softwood cuttings in sand in a frame.

Medicinal Uses

Used in traditional medicine.

Other Uses

Fat from the seeds is used in cosmetic preparations. It is said to soften the skin.

Notes

There are about 150 Caesalpinia species. They grow in the tropics and subtropics. It is used in medicine. Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Names & Synonyms

Akar kelinci, Diepxoan, Gachcha-kaya, Gajaga, Gajagakayi, Grey micker, Kalein, Karanju, Kat-karanja, Kazanchik-kuru, Kazhichikay, Malem, Malin, Nata, Putikaranja, Sagargota, Sugauk-net, Suk yan-bo

Caesalpinia chinensis Roxb.Caesalpinia laevigata Perr.Guilandina crista SmallGuilandina nuga L.and several others

References (6)

Ambasta S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 93
Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 177
Cooper, W. and Cooper, W., 2004, Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Nokomis Editions, Victoria, Australia. p 98
Sp. pl. 1:380. 1753
Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 908
Wilson, S., 1997, Some Plants are Poisonous. Reed. p 38