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
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Binomial name | |
Jacaranda caerulea (
L.)
J. St.-Hil.
|
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 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]
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]
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]
Data related to Jacaranda caerulea at Wikispecies