A modern reference to temperate woody plants, including updated content from this site and much new material, can be found at Trees and Shrubs Online.

Caesalpinia

Family

Leguminosae

Of the forty or so species of Caesalpinia known, two or three can be grown in the milder parts of the kingdom, but even as far south as Kew they need some shelter in the open air. Among hardy trees and shrubs they are most nearly allied to Gymnocladus and Gleditsia. The flowers are very dissimilar to those of the commoner pea-flowered type of Leguminosae, the petals being almost equal in size and shape. The other essential features are the tubular, five-toothed calyx, the ten free stamens, and the thick, compressed, leathery pod. Named after Andreas Caesalpini, an Italian botanist, 1519-1603.

Species articles

Modern name

Some names used by Bean have now been superseded and are no longer familiar. To ensure that all plants can be easily found, under any name, we have cross-referenced to The Plant List, a collaboration between RBG Kew, Missouri Botanical Gardens and other organisations, which aims to provide a currently accepted name for any plant. Not all taxonomists will agree with all Plant List nomenclature, but it provides a baseline to compare names. For each species above, clicking on the Modern Name will link to the entry for that name on The Plant List website.