Wood Gossip, Fever nut, Bonduc nut
Caesalpinia crista

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A half woody climber. It may or may not have spines. It grows 3 m high and spreads 3 m wide. The leaves are compound and there are usually curved spines underneath. There are 2-10 leaflets along 2-5 pairs of leaf divisions. The leaflets are 1.5-10 cm long and 1-4 cm wide. The flowers have 5 petals. One petal is yellow and the others are yellow with red veins. They are 5-9 mm long. The fruit is a pod. It is dark brown and 4-7.5 cm long by 2.5-3.5 cm wide. There is usually one dark brown seed. It is 1.5-2.5 cm long.

There are about 150 Caesalpinia species. They grow in the tropics and subtropics. It is used in medicine. Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It suits tropical regions. It grows in rainforests and mangrove swamps. It needs a rich well-drained soil and a sunny location. It is damaged by drought and frost. It grows on mountain slopes in southern China between 400-1,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Ryuku Islands, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

CAUTION: The seeds are poisonous.

Edible parts

Medicine

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed. The seed need treatment before planting.

Its other names

Local names

Akar kelinci, Diepxoan, Gachcha-kaya, Gajaga, Gajagakayi, Grey micker, Kalein, Karanju, Kat-karanja, Kazanchik-kuru, Kazhichikay, Malem, Malin, Nata, Putikaranja, Sagargota, Sugauk-net, Suk yan-bo

Synonyms

Caesalpinia chinensis Roxb.; Caesalpinia laevigata Perr.; Guilandina crista Small; Guilandina nuga L.; and several others