Caesalpinia coriaria (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Caesalpinia coriaria (Jacq.) Willd.

Protologue: Sp. pl. ed. 4, 2: 532 (1799).

Vernacular names

• Divi divi (En)
• Indonesia: dewi
• Thailand: tanyong (Bangkok).

Distribution

C. coriaria originates from Central and South America and was introduced and is now cultivated in South-East Asia.

Uses

The pods and bark are said to be antiperiodic. A decoction of the pods is used in the treatment of haemorrhoids, and an infusion for dressing sores. In Thailand, the roots are used as an antipyretic and for the treatment of abscesses and chronic wounds. The bark or pods are employed dressing wounds.

Observations

• A shrub or small tree up to 10 m tall, unarmed.
• Leaves often imparipinnate, with 4-8 pairs of pinnae, stipules minute, subulate, leaflets 15-28 pairs per pinna, base obliquely subcordate, apex rounded to truncate.
• Raceme axillary or terminal, short, condensed, almost sessile, 2-6 cm long; flowers bisexual, fragrant, sepals 3-4 mm long, petals 3-6 mm long, yellow or cream.
• Pod 3-6 cm × 1.5-3 cm, inflated, often twisted, 1-10-seeded.

Selected sources

• [72] Ayoub, S.M.H., Yankov, L.K. & Hussein-Ayoub, S.M., 1985. Algicidal properties of tannins. Fitoterapia 56(4): 227—229.
• [81] Bali, H.S., Sawai Singh, Pati, S.C. & Singh Sawai, 1985. Preliminary screening of some plants for molluscicidal activity against two snail species. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 55(5): 338—340.
• [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.
• [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.
• [602] Lemmens, R.H.M.J. & Wulijarni-Soetjipto, N. (Editors), 1991. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 3. Dye and tannin-producing plants. Pudoc, Wageningen, the Netherlands. 196 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.

Main genus page

• Caesalpinia (Medicinal plants)
• Caesalpinia (Dyes and tannins)

Authors

• B. Ibnu Utomo