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Caesalpinia gilliesii

Common name:	Bird Of Paradise	Family:	Leguminosae
Author:	(Hook.)Wall. ex D.Dietr.	Botanical references:	200, 274
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	The green seed pods are severely irritating to the digestive tract[274].
Range:	Southern South America - Argentina and Uruguay.
Habitat:	Escaped from cultivation where it grows wild in pastures and dry habitats in Texas[274].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Fabales. Renamed to Fabaceae -- Pea family

Physical Characteristics

A decidious shrub growing to 5m. It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antitumor.

The seeds are reported to have antitumour activity[274].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Requires a sunny position[11], succeeding in any moderately fertile well-drained soil[200] including limy soils[182].
This species is on the borderline of hardiness in Britain. It can tolerate occasional lows down to about -12° c, so long as it is not too wet. It is best grown against a warm, sheltered sunny wall[200]. The plant succeeds against a warm wall at Kew Gardens, where it has grown to a height of 8 metres, it also succeeds in more open conditions on the Isle of Wight[11].
The plant is often cultivated for its very ornamental, showy flowers[274].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[200].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 12 - 24 hours in warm water and sow in a greenhouse in early spring[200]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Softwood cuttings in sand in a frame[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.