A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
The flower has five petals with a yellow margin in a pyramidal inflorescence. Each flower is about 1½ inches across with five sepals. The ten stamens are long and the pistils project from the centre of the flower. The fifth petal is far smaller than the other four. The stamens have coloured filaments with anthers at the tips however, the eleventh filament bears a stigma and is the style. The branches a prickly and the leaves are large and doubly compound about one foot long and six inches wide with many small leaflets. References to this flower were recorded as early as 1657. It is a shrub and is often pruned into a low hedge in its native range. If untrimmed it grows to a height of 10 to 15 feet. Summer annual, perennial, or woody shrub depending upon the severity of winter temperatures.
Xeric portion of wildlife habitat yard.
Spotted on Jun 29, 2013
Submitted on Jul 2, 2013
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