Caesalpinia crista (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Caesalpinia crista L.

Protologue: Sp. pl. 1: 380 (1753) p.p.

• Caesalpinia nuga (L.) W.T. Aiton (1811).

• Indonesia: kemrunggi, rembete (Javanese), mata hiyang (Sundanese)
• Papua New Guinea: kait (Gunantuna, East New Britain)
• Philippines: bakaig (Tagalog), binit (Bikol)
• Thailand: thephee (peninsular)(for C. nuga), sawaat (central), waat (peninsular) (for C. crista)
• Vietnam: chiêng chiếng.

C. crista can be found in coastal areas from India and Sri Lanka, eastward to the Ryukyu Islands, throughout South-East Asia to Queensland and New Caledonia. In Malesia it is not found in East Sumatra and East Borneo.

In the Philippines, a decoction of crushed seeds is used as an emetic and credited with antidysenteric properties. In Papua New Guinea, the fruits are externally applied in the treatment of rash. In Indonesia, the roots are used in the treatment of kidney stones. In India, the root is considered a diuretic, a tonic and useful in the treatment of bladder stones.

• A liana up to 15 m long, branchlets variably armed.
• Leaves paripinnate, rachis 10-30 cm long, with 2-4(-5) pairs of pinnae, pinna 2.5-8(-12) cm long, stipules triangular, minute, caducous, leaflets opposite, 1-3(-5) pairs per pinna, base acute, margin curved, apex acute to obtuse.
• Panicle axillary or terminal, 20-40 cm long.
• Flowers bisexual, sepals 6-8 mm × 2-4 mm, petals 5-10 mm × 4-5 mm, clawed, ovary with 1-2(-3) ovules.
• Pod stipitate, 4-7 cm × 2.5-3.5 cm, unarmed, 1(-2)-seeded, indehiscent.
• Seed ovoid, black.

C. crista is found on river banks, sandy beaches, in and behind the sandy parts of mangroves, on chalk and limestone, generally at low altitudes, rarely up to 350 m.

• [39] Akhtar, M.S., Javed, I., Hayat, C.S. & Shah, B.H., 1985. Efficacy and safety of Caesalpinia crista seeds, its extracts in water and methanol against natural Neoascaris vitulorum infection in buffalo calves. Pakistan Veterinary Journal 5(4): 192—196.
• [135] Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A—H) pp. 1—1240, Vol. 2 (I—Z) pp. 1241—2444.
• [215] Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1948—1976. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials & industrial products. 11 volumes. Publications and Information Directorate, New Delhi, India.
• [256] Ding Hou, Larsen, K. & Larsen, S.S., 1996. Caesalpiniaceae (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae). In: Kalkman, C., Kirkup, D.W., Nooteboom, H.P., Stevens, P.F. & de Wilde, W.J.J.O. (Editors): Flora Malesiana. Series 1, Vol. 12(2). Rijksherbarium/Hortus Botanicus, Leiden, the Netherlands. pp. 409—730.
• [407] Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.
• [418] Holdsworth, D.K., 1977. Medicinal plants of Papua New Guinea. Technical Paper No 175. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 123 pp.
• [485] Javed, I., Akhtar, M.S., Rahman, Z.U., Khaliq, T. & Ahmad, M., 1994. Comparative anthelmintic efficacy and safety of Caesalpinia crista seed and piperazine adipate in chickens with artificially induced Ascaridia galli infection. Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 42(1): 103—109.
• [585] Larsen, K., Larsen, S.S. & Vidal, J.E., 1980. Légumineuses-Caesalpinioïdées [Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae]. In: Vidal, J.E. & Vidal, Y. (Editors): Flore du Cambodge, du Laos et du Viêtnam [Flora of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam]. Vol. 18. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. 227 pp.
• [810] Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.
• [1008] Tomlinson, P.B., 1986. The botany of mangroves. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom, New York, United States & Melbourne Australia. 413 pp.
• [1038] Verdcourt, B., 1979. A manual of New Guinea legumes. Botany Bulletin No 11. Office of Forests, Division of Botany, Lae, Papua New Guinea. 645 pp.

• Caesalpinia (Medicinal plants)

• B. Ibnu Utomo