Jacaranda caerulea (boxwood or cancertree) is a flowering tree belonging to the genus Jacaranda. It is native to the West Indies, in Cuba, Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti) and the Bahamas.[2][3]
| Jacaranda caerulea | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Bignoniaceae |
| Genus: | Jacaranda |
| Species: | J. caerulea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Jacaranda caerulea | |
Description edit
Jacaranda caerula was described in 1805 by French naturalist Jean Henri Jaume Saint-Hilaire.[4] It grows up to 12 metres (39 ft) in height and has 40 cm long, bipinnate leaves each with 8 to 26 pinna.[5]
The flowers are purplish blue in colour with a tubular shape, being narrower towards the base and larger at the tip. They measure 3.5 to 4 cm long and 1 to 1.4 cm wide at the mouth.[5] It flowers intermittently throughout spring and summer, rather than having one big bloom during spring.[3]
Distribution edit
The tree is native to the Bahamas, Hispaniola, and Cuba, but can also be found in Florida where it was introduced for landscaping purposes.[3] It most commonly found in limestone areas between sea level and 300m.[5]
Uses edit
The leaves are used in some places for their antiseptic properties. In the Bahamas, decoctions are made from the dried leaves and used as an alternative treatment for a variety of skin complaints, including skin cancer. In Cuba, decoctions of leafy branches are used to treat eczema and acne.[6]
References edit
- ^ Freid, E.H.; Timyan, J. (2022). "Jacaranda caerulea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T202826219A202880978. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T202826219A202880978.en. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
- ^ Grandtner, M.M. (2005). Elsevier's Dictionary of Trees: Volume 1: North America. p. 451. ISBN 9780080460185.
- ^ a b c Popenoe, John (1980). "Bahamian Trees for the South Florida Landscape" (PDF). Proc. Fla. StateHort. Soc. 93: 86–87.
- ^ "Publication Details, Exposition des Familles Naturelles...Paris (chez Treuttel et Würtz, ...), Strasbourg (meme Maison de Commerce)". International Plant Names Index.
- ^ a b c Gentry, Alwyn H. (1992-04-13). "Organization for Flora Neotropica, Bignoniaceae: Part II (Tribe Tecomeae)". Flora Neotropica. 25 (2). New York Botanical Garden Press: 62. JSTOR 4393739.
- ^ Duke, James A. (2008). Duke's Handbook of Medicinal Plants of Latin America. CRC Press. p. 381. ISBN 9781420043174.
Data related to Jacaranda caerulea at Wikispecies