Jacaranda caerulea

Jacaranda caerulea (boxwood or cancertree) is a flowering tree belonging to the genus Jacaranda. It is native to the West Indies, including Cuba and the Bahamas.[1][2]

Jacaranda caerulea
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

Jacaranda caerula was described in 1805 by French naturalist Jean Henri Jaume Saint-Hilaire.[3] It grows up to 12 metres (39 ft) in height and has 40 cm long, bipinnate leaves each with 8 to 26 pinna.[4]

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.[4] It flowers intermittently throughout spring and summer, rather than having one big bloom during spring.[2]

Distribution

The tree is native to the Bahamas and Cuba, but can also be found in Florida where it was introduced for landscaping purposes.[2] It most commonly found in limestone areas between sea level and 300m.[4]

Uses

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.[5]

References
  1. Grandtner, M.M. (2005). Elsevier's Dictionary of Trees: Volume 1: North America. p. 451. ISBN 9780080460185.
  2. Popenoe, John (1980). "Bahamian Trees for the South Florida Landscape" (PDF). Proc. Fla. StateHort. Soc. 93.: 86–87.
  3. "Publication Details, Exposition des Familles Naturelles...Paris (chez Treuttel et Würtz, ...), Strasbourg (meme Maison de Commerce)". International Plant Names Index.
  4. Gentry, Alwyn H. (1992-04-13). "Organization for Flora Neotropica, Bignoniaceae: Part II (Tribe Tecomeae)". Flora Neotropica. New York Botanical Garden Press. 25 (2): 62. JSTOR 4393739.
  5. Duke, James A. (2008). Duke's Handbook of Medicinal Plants of Latin America. CRC Press. p. 381. ISBN 9781420043174.

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