Plant Listings

Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb.

Common Names: Grey Knickers, Knicker Bean, Brier

Family: Fabaceae

Habit: Caesalpinia bonduc grows as a large vine tree up to 7 meters in height climbing over other vegetation and forming large impenetrable clumps. The stems and leaves are covered with recurved prickles. The leaves are arranged alternately, pinnately compound, to 45 cm in length with the pinnae in 4-5 pairs each with 4-8 leaflets. The leaflets are ovate with a mucronate leaf apex and entire margin. There are persistent stipules each to 3 cm in length.

The complete, perfect, zygomorphic flowers are arranged in racemes. There are 5 unfused greenish-yellow sepals in the calyx and 5 unfused greenish-yellow petals in the corolla. There are 10 stamens (8 functional and 2 staminodes) that are the same length as the perianth. The superior ovary has as 1 locule with 2-3 ovules. The fruit is a spiny legume, 5-8 cm in length, turning brown at maturity. There are 2-3 grey seeds.

Habitat: Caesalpinia bonduc grows in Human Altered environments as well as coastal regions near Dunes.

Distribution: Caesalpinia bonduc grows throughout all islands in the Lucayan Archipelago and in Tropical and Subtropical regions of the world.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Caesalpinia bonduc is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.