Peacock bush
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Peacock bush ( Caesalpinia pulcherrima ) |
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| Caesalpinia pulcherrima | ||||||||||||
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The peacock shrub ( Caesalpinia pulcherrima ), which is also called the pride of Barbados in German , is a plant from the legume family (Fabaceae). It is used as an ornamental shrub in almost all tropical countries .
description
Vegetative characteristics
Caesalpinia pulcherrima grows as a shrub and reaches stature heights of 5 to 6 meters. It has a loose, translucent crown and is deciduous. Its bark is gray and smooth. The alternate leaves are double-pinnate and about 30 centimeters long. The pinna flake of Fiedern first order are 1 to 3 centimeters long.
Generative characteristics
The flowers sit together in inflorescences 30 to 40 centimeters long . The hermaphrodite flowers are fivefold. The five petals orange or red, often with yellow edges, the top one is often a different color and is slightly rolled up lengthways. Stamens and stylus protrude far from the flower. The legumes, which are brown when ripe, are up to 12 inches long and 2.5 inches wide.
Chromosome number
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 24, rarely 28.
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distribution
The original range of Caesalpinia pulcherrima are the islands of the Caribbean .
use
The peacock shrub is widespread in the tropics today as an ornamental, street tree and park plant. The peacock bush tolerates drought and is salt-resistant.
In addition to the value as an ornamental plant , tannic acids are extracted from the fruits , which are processed into paints and inks . The poisonous leaves have a laxative and antipyretic effect.
The natural scientist and artist Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717) painted and described the plant as early as 1700 and wrote:
“Your semen is needed for women who are in labor and who are supposed to keep working. The Indians, who are not treated well when they are in service with the Dutch, use it to abort their children so that their children do not become slaves as they are. The black female slaves from Guinea and Angola must be treated very courteously, otherwise they don't want to have children in their position as slaves. "
literature
- R. Blancke: Color Atlas Plants of the Caribbean and Central America , 1999, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, ISBN 3-8001-3512-4 .
- W. Lötschert, G. Beese: plants of the tropics , 1992, BLV, ISBN 3-405-14448-5 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Caesalpinia pulcherrima at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
- ^ Museum for Contraception and Abortion Vienna Birth strike for better working conditions in Suriname
