Monday, March 22, 2010

CABALLERO (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)


Good morning everyone. Another tree with medicinal value found in the Philippines. I’m sure if many have this plant you can use it to cure some ailments. There are a total of 96 Philippine medicinal trees under 83 genera and 38 families. I want to share the most seen trees here.

It is an erect, small and smooth tree reaching 1.5 to 5 m high. It is armed with scattered spines along the branches. The red and yellow, few flowered clusters are borne on terminal portions.

Medicinal Value:

■ Fresh leaves are applied externally to relieve rheumatism; heated and applied externally, remedy stomach pains.

■ A decoction from the crushed seeds is used as an emetic and believed to be a remedy for dysentery.

■ roots are diuretic and useful in cases of stone formation in the bladder.

■ The juice of the stem and roasted fruit are used for eye disease.

■ The finely powdered leaves are given as uterine tonic to women immediately after giving birth.
Photo courtesy: aves

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