Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) SwartzFamily: Caesalpiniaceae
- Common Name: Peacock Flower
- Bengali: ক্রিশ্নচূড়া Krishnachura, রাধাচূড়া Radhachur
- Chinese: 红蝴蝶
- Dutch: Pauwenbloem
- Finnish: Riikinkukkokesalpina
- German: Pfauenstrauch
- Hindi: गुले तूरा guletura, कृष्ण चूरा Krishna-chura, कृष्ण चरण Krishna-charan
- Indonesian: Kembang merak
- Kannada: Kenjige, ರತ್ನಗಮ್ಧಿ Ratnagamdhi
- Malayalam: Settimandaram, രാജമല്ലി
- Manipuri: ক্রিশ্নচূরা Krishnachura
- Marathi: शंखासुर Shankhasur
- Oriya: Krishnochuda
- Sanskrit: Sidhakya, कृष्णचूडा Krishnachuda, रत्नगन्धि Ratnagandhi
- Tamil: Mayurkonrai, மயில் கொன்றை Mayil konrai
- Telugu: రత్నగంధీ Ratnagandhi
- Thai: หางนกยูงไทย
- Urdu: Gul-e-turra
- Vietnamese: Kim phượng
Description: Shrub, nearly 2 m in height, branches sometimes slightly prickly. Leaves bipinnate, 10-45 cm long, pinnae 4-12 pairs, opposite, c. 7.5 cm long. Leaflets 1.2-1.3 cm long, 3-7 mm broad. Flowers in erect terminal raceme, variously orange yellow and red coloured, often claw red, centre of limb crimson, red or golden red. Filaments very long, bright red. Pod 5-7.5 cm long c. 1.7 cm broad, straight.
Used in Ayurveda and Sidha. Toxins. Bark juice abortifacient and febrifuge, tonic, stimulant. Roots abortifacient, emmenagogue, used for infantile convulsions; root juice given to treat peptic ulcer. Flowers for intestinal worms, coughs and chronic catarrh. Fruits and leaves febrifuge, astringent. Leaves emmenagogue, purgative, antifungal, abortifacient, to relieve constipation; leaf paste applied to treat boils, pimples and ringworm. Seed paste applied on infected teeth and ringworm; fresh seeds decoction used for inflamed gums. [CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants]
Leaves—laxative, antipyretic. Used in Eastern India as a substitute for senna. Dried and powdered leaves are used in erysipelas. Flowers—anthelmintic. Also used for cough and catarrh. Root—a decoction is prescribed in intermittent fevers. Bark—emmenagogue, abortifacient.[Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary]
Influenza and vaccinia virus, also anti Gram-negative bacteria and Candida sp. [Medicinal plants in tropical West Africa]
Root: Bitter, toxic, astringent; for diarrhoea. Leaf and Flower: Infusion is diuretic. Leaf, Flower and Seed: For stomach, urinany bladder and kidney problems. Leaf and Seed: Infusion is drunk by the Djuka to induce quick, uncomplicated abortion in early pregnancy. Leaf: Infusion is drunk for kidney stones, and to accelerate childbirth. For a febrifuge, tonic, excitant, emmenagogue, and possibly an abortive at a certain dosage. Leaves of the yellow-flowered form, f. flava (Bailey & Rehder) DeFilipps, Ornamental Garden Plants of the Guianas 85 (1992), are used in Surinam for stomachache. Flower: Febrifuge; infusion drunk as a tea for gall bladder problems in Surinam. Fresh flowers are sudorific. Those of the red-flowered form (f. pulcherrima) are used in Surinam for urinary tract problems. Seed: Pectoral. [Medicinal Plants of the Guianas (Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana) ]
118 Published articles of Caesalpinia pulcherrima
