Caesalpinia digyna

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Caesalpinia digyna

Description

Liana, scandent shrub, or small tree, up to 10 m, young parts densely rusty-brown hairy; branchlets armed with recurved prickles (4-5 mm long). Leaves: rachis 17-23 cm; pinnae 8-13 pairs, 4-5 cm, unarmed. Stipules subulate, to 3 mm long, slightly hairy, caducous. Inflorescences axillary and terminal, paniculate, 30-40 cm long, the rachis glabrous or hairy, with a few prickles in the basal part; bracts somewhat boat-shaped, 4 by 0.4 mm, hairy; pedicels spreading, slender, 15-25 mm, glabrous or with a few hairs, articulated at the base. Flower buds glabrous. Sepals 3-8 by 2-5 mm. Petals 5-8 by 3-8 mm, shortly clawed (claw up to 2 mm long). Stamens slightly exserted; filaments c. 12 mm; anthers 1.5 mm, glabrous or with a few hairs. Ovary 3-4 mm long, glabrous or silky-hairy along the sutures, 2-4-ovuled; style 6-8 mm, glabrous; stigma 0.3 mm in diam., short-hairy along the margin. Seeds subglobose, 10-12 mm in diam, dark brown.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Cambodia (Cambodia present); India present; Laos (Laos present); Lesser Sunda Is. (Bali present); Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka present); Thailand (Thailand present); Vietnam (Vietnam present), Burma present, C present, E present, Kangean Is. present, NW Malay Peninsula present, Nepal present, Palembang present, also Madura present
India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand.. In Malesia: Sumatra (Palembang), NW Malay Peninsula, Java (C and E, also Madura and Kangean Is.), Lesser Sunda Islands (Bali)

Uses

The pods are rich in tannins and are used for tanning. See . The seeds appear nutritious .

Citation

Backer & Bakh.f 1964 – In: Fl. Java: 546
Ridley 1922 – In: Fl. Malay Penins.: 651
J.E. Vidal 1984: p. 75. – In: Fl. Thailand: f. 19/1-8
Rudd 1991 – In: Fl. Ceylon: 52.
J.E. Vidal 1980: p. 41. – In: Fl. Camb., Laos & Vietnam: pl. 6/1-8
Hattink 1974: p. 28. – In: Reinwardtia: f. 4/6