Taxonomy of Angiosperms and Economic Botany Explanation on Family-Caesalpiniaceae:

1. Dr.R.Murugalakshmi Kumari
Assistant Professor of Botany
V.V.Vanniaperumal college for women
Virudhunagar

2. Taxonomy of Angiosperms and Economic Botany
Explanation on Family-Caesalpiniaceae:
• Distribution:
Most of the members belonging to this family
are tropical and sub-tropical in distribution. In
India the family is represented by many genera,
e.g., Cassia, Bauhinia, Tamarindus, Saraca,
Poinciana, Parkinsonia, Caesalpinia, etc.

3. Habit:
• The plants show great variations in their habit,
they may be trees or shrubs and very rarely
herbs. Mostly they are mesophytes, but
xerophytes (e.g., Parkinsonia) are also reported.
• Most of them are wild, but many are cultivated
for their beautiful flowers and timber. Some
plants are woody climbers. (e.g., Bauhinia sp.).

4. Root:
• Tap and branched.

5. Stem:
• Erect, woody, cylindrical, solid, branched,
sometimes herbaceous or climbing.
• In many species tannin sacs and gum
passages are found.

6. Leaves:
• The leaves may be simple or compound.
• If compound they may be pinnate or bi- pinnate.
• Usually the pinnate leaves are arranged in pairs;
petiolate, pulvinus present at the base of the
petiole; the pinna ovate or obovate, glabrous, net
veined, entire.
• Usually exstipulate, sometimes minute caducous
stipules present.

7. Inflorescence:
• Usually racemose, raceme, sometimes
pendulous.

8. Flower:
• Pedicellate, zygomorphic rarely
actionomorphic,
• hermaphrodite,
• hypogynous,
• complete,
• variously coloured, showy, large or small.

9. Calyx:
• Five sepals,
• free or fused,
• often petaloid,
• aestivation imbricate or valvate.

10. Corolla:
• Five petals,
• polypetalous(free); ascending imbricate
aestivation,
• i.e., the posterior petal innermost in bud;
inferior,
• spathulate, showy.

11. Androecium:
• Stamens usually ten, free, rarely connate, but,
sometimes reduced to staminodes or
altogether abortive.
• In Cassia 3 to 5 stamens reduced to
staminodes,
• In Tamarindus sp. 3 stamens are well
developed, while rest are reduced into
staminodes.

12. Gynoecium:
• Carpel one (monocarpellary); ovary superior,
unilocular;
• marginal placentation;
• style long; stigma simple.

13. Fruit:
• Pod or lomentum,
• sessile or stalked,
• dehiscent or indehiscent.

14. Seed:
• Exalbuminous
Pollination:
• Eniomophilous.

15. Economic Importance of Family Caesalpiniaceae:
Economically the family is fairly important. A list of few important plants is given here:
• 1. Saraca indica; Eng.-Ashok tree; Verna-Ashok-This is a tree; native of India. It is grown as an ornamental
in the gardens for its scarlet orange flowers. The plant is of great medicinal value.
• 2. Saraca declinata-This is a small tree. It is native of Sumatra. Grown as an ornamental for the bright
orange-yellow flowers.
• 3. Bauhinia variegata; Syn. B Candida; Eng.-Mountain ebony; Verna-Kachnar-This is a tree. The white
flowers possess red and yellow stripes. The leaves and flower buds are eaten as vegetable. The bark is
used for dyeing and tanning. This is found in Punjab, the Western Penisula and Assam.
• 4. Bauhinia malabarica; Eng-Malabar mountain ebony; Verna-Amli-This is a common tree of South India,
Assam and Bengal. The leaves used for flavouring food stuff. The bark is used for tanning. The tender seeds
and leafy tips are eaten as vegetable.
• 5. Bauhinia purpurea; Verna-Kaliar, Lai Kachnar-This is found in Northern India. Assam, the Khasia hills and
the Western Peninsula. The bark is used for tanning. A dye and a fibre are obtained from its bark.
• 6. Bauhinia tomentosa; Verna-Kachnar-This is small tree. The flowers are large yellow and possess a purple
dye. The bark is employed as cordage. This is commonly found in South India, Assam and Bihar.
• 7. Bauhinia corymbosa; Verna-Safed Kachnar-This is a large omamental tree.
• 8. Bauhinia acuminata-, Verna-Safed Kachnar-This is a small omamental tree.
• 9. Bauhinia racemosa; Verna-Kachnar, Gurial-This is a small bushy tree. The flower buds and fruits are
eaten as vegetable. The bark yields a fibre.
• 10. Bauhinia galpinii-lhxs is a straggling or prostrate shrub. This is native of South and tropical Africa. This
is grown in the gardens as an ornamental for its bright scarlet flowers.
• 11. Bauhinia retusa; Verna-Kandla-This is found in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. It yields a gum
which is used in paper and textile industry.

16. • 12. Bauhinia vahlii; Verna-Malijhan, Jallur-This is a large climber. It is found in Assam, Madhya
Pradesh, Bihar and the Punjab. The bark yields a fibre which is used for making ropes. The
bark is also employed for tanning.
• 13. Bauhinia monandra; Eng.-Butterfly flowers-This is a small tree grown as a hedge plant.
• 14. Haematoxylon campechianum; Eng-Logwood; Verna-Patang-This is an ornamental thorny
tree. It is native of Central America and West Indies. The heartwood contams haeamotoxylin,
which is used in dyeing and as nuclear stain.
• 15. Cassia fistula: Verna-Amaltas-This is a tree, grown as an ornamental. The pulp of the fruits
is used as a purgative and laxative.
• 16. Cassia alata; Verna-Dadmurdan- This is a small shrub. It is found in Tamil Nadu, Bengal.
The leaves are used for ringworms and skin diseases. Also grown as an ornamental.
• 17. Cassia grandis-This is an ornamental and grown as a hedge plant in the gardens.
• 18. Cassia angustifolia; Verna-Sena-This is native of Arabia but now cultivated in Tamil Nadu
and Karnataka. The leaves and fruits are used as a laxative and purgative.
• 19. Cassia artemisioides-This is a shrub grown as an ornamental.
• 20. Cassia javanica; Verna-Java-ki-Rani-This is small tree, grown as an ornamental for its pink
flowers. It is native of Malaya.

19. Caesalpinia pulcherrima

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