Botanical Family · Fabales
Caesalpiniaceae
Senna family
93 speciesOrder Fabales8+ well-known plants
Often treated as a subfamily of Fabaceae, these are primarily tropical trees and shrubs with distinctively irregular but less markedly butterfly-shaped flowers than true legumes. Includes ornamental trees like Cassia, Bauhinia, and Delonix (Gulmohar).
Browse all 93 species ↓
Pinnate or bipinnate leaves on trees and shrubs; slightly irregular flowers with five mostly separate petals and stamens that stay free rather than fusing into a tube, ripening into a flattened pod.
Many species store tannins and anthraquinones in bark and pods, historically used as laxatives (senna) and dyes; several are prized as canopy or avenue trees for their showy racemes.
Which Caesalpiniaceae species is this?
Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Caesalpiniaceae species.
Leaf TypeIs the leaf a single blade, or divided into leaflets?
Bilobed (two leaflets, often butterfly-shaped)
Bipinnately compound
Bipinnately compound (doubly divided, fern-like)
Pinnately compound
Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk)
Simple
Trifoliate (three leaflets)
HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?
Climbing vine
Shrub
Tree
Flower ColorWhat color are the flowers?
Orange
White
Flower ColorWhat color are the flowers?
White
Yellow
Flower ColorWhat color are the flowers?
Pink
White
Yellow
ThornsDoes the plant have thorns or spines?
No thorns
Thorny
ThornsDoes the plant have thorns or spines?
No thorns
Slightly thorny
Thorny
Pod MarkAnything distinctive about the seed pods?
Curved/coiled pod
Winged pod, copper-red when young
Flower ColorWhat color are the flowers?
Orange
White
Yellow
HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?
Climbing vine
Tree
ThornsDoes the plant have thorns or spines?
Thorny
Thorny, recurved prickles
Flower ColorWhat color are the flowers?
Orange
Red
White
Yellow
ThornsDoes the plant have thorns or spines?
No thorns
Thorny
Flower ColorWhat color are the flowers?
Orange
Pink
Red
Yellow
HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?
Shrub
Tree
Pod MarkAnything distinctive about the seed pods?
Curved brown pod with sticky pulp
Not sure / other
Very long cylindrical pod
Winged pod
Flower ColorWhat color are the flowers?
Orange
Pink
Red
White
Yellow
Pod MarkAnything distinctive about the seed pods?
Hard woody pod
Not sure / other
Wrinkled pod
HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?
Herb
Shrub
Tree
How to recognise the Caesalpiniaceae family
- 01
Slightly irregular flowers (not typical papilionoid)
- 02
Usually pinnate or bipinnate leaves
- 03
Pod fruit; often large canopy trees
To check whether a plant belongs to Caesalpiniaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.
Learn the full family-identification methodTypical leaf characters
Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.
Typical flower & fruit
- Flower symmetryZygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- InflorescenceRaceme
- FruitLegume
Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.
Notable members
Indian Ash, Red Or Pink Cedar, Single TreeAcrocarpus fraxinifoliusPride Of Burma, Orchid Tree, Noble Amherstia, Tree Of HeavenAmherstia nobilisWhite 'Orchid' Tree, Dwarf White Bauhinia, Butterfly-Tree, Hawaiian Orchid Tree, Hong Kong Orchid Tree, Purple Camel's Foot, White Bauhinia, Kaa-Long, Snowy OrchidBauhinia acuminataBauhiniaBauhinia blakeanaBrazilian Orchid TreeBauhinia forficataPride Of The CapeBauhinia galpiniiWhite BauhiniaBauhinia hookeriMalabar Mountain Ebony, Malabar Bauhinia, Mountain EbonyBauhinia malabarica
Families that can look similar
Fabaceae
Compare against Fabaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare FabaceaeMimosaceae
Compare against Mimosaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare MimosaceaePolygalaceae
Compare against Polygalaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare PolygalaceaeOrobanchaceae
Compare against Orobanchaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare OrobanchaceaeAll 93 species in CAESALPINIACEAE
- Indian Ash, Red Or Pink Cedar, Single TreeAcrocarpus fraxinifolius
- Pride Of Burma, Orchid Tree, Noble Amherstia, Tree Of HeavenAmherstia nobilis
- White 'Orchid' Tree, Dwarf White Bauhinia, Butterfly-Tree, Hawaiian Orchid Tree, Hong Kong Orchid Tree, Purple Camel's Foot, White Bauhinia, Kaa-Long, Snowy OrchidBauhinia acuminata
- BauhiniaBauhinia blakeana
- Brazilian Orchid TreeBauhinia forficata
- Pride Of The CapeBauhinia galpinii
- White BauhiniaBauhinia hookeri
- Malabar Mountain Ebony, Malabar Bauhinia, Mountain EbonyBauhinia malabarica
- Pink BauhiniaBauhinia monandra
- Crimson Mountain EbonyBauhinia phoenicea
- Purple Orchid Tree, Purple Bauhinia, Butterfly Tree, Camel's Foot Tree, Geranium Tree, Orchid TreeBauhinia purpurea
- Indian KanchanBauhinia racemosa
- Burmese Silk Orchid Tree, Yellow Orchid Bauhinia, St. Thomas Tree, Yellow Bell BauhiniaBauhinia tomentosa
- Maloo CreeperBauhinia vahlii
- Mountain Ebony, The Variegated Bauhinia, Orchid Tree, Purple Orchid TreeBauhinia variegata
- White BauhiniaBauhinia variegata var. candida
- Scarlet Flame BeanBrownea coccinea
- Rose Of The JungleBrownea grandiceps
- Flame TreeBrownea macrophylla
- Bonduc-Nut, Fever-Nut, Physic-NutCaesalpinia bonduc
- Divi Divi, American SumachCaesalpinia coriaria
- Wood Gossip CaesalpiniaCaesalpinia crista
- Brasiletto ClimberCaesalpinia cucullata
- Mysore Thorn, Black Bonduc, ShooflyCaesalpinia decapetala
- TeripodCaesalpinia digyna
- Brazilian IronwoodCaesalpinia ferrea
- Mimosa ThornCaesalpinia mimosoides
- Dwarf Poinciana, Peacock Flower, Barbados Pride, Peacock Cassia, Peacock Flower, Barbados Flower-Fence, Gold MohurCaesalpinia pulcherrima
- Indian Laburnum, Golden Shower, Purging Fistula, Fistula, Purging CassiaCassia fistula
- Pink Shower, Coral Shower, Horse CassiaCassia grandis
- Java Cassia, Pink CassiaCassia javanica
- Bronze Shower TreeCassia moschata
- Java CassiaCassia nodosa
- Red Cassia, Red Indian LaburnumCassia roxburghii
- Hairy CassiaChamaecrista absus
- Feather-Leaved Cassia, Mimosa-Like SennaChamaecrista mimosoides
- Dwarf SennaChamaecrista pumila
- Round-Leaf CassiaChamaecrista rotundifolia
- Colville's Glory TreeColvillea racemosa
- Wrinkle Pod MangroveCynometra iripa
- White Gulmohar, Yellow Gul Mohr, Creamy Peacock FlowerDelonix elata
- Red Gulmohar, Gulmohar, Flamboyant Flame Tree, Royal Poinciana, Gul Mohur, Flamboyant Tree, Flame Tree, Peacock FlowerDelonix regia
- NickernutGuilandina bonduc
- AnjanHardwickia binata
- Three-Petal HumboldtiaHumboldtia brunonis
- Malabar HumboldtiaHumboldtia vahliana
- StinkingtoeHymenaea courbaril
- Moluccan Iron Wood, Borneo TeakIntsia bijuga
- Orange Brasiletto Climber, Candy Corn PlantMoullava spicata
- Mexican Palo VerdeParkinsonia aculeata
- Horse Bean, Jerusalem ThornPeltophorum africanum
- The Copper Pod, Copper Pod Tree, Golden Flamboyante, Rusty Shield Bearer, Rusty Shield Bearer, Yellow Gold Mohur, Yellow Flame Tree, Yellow PoincianaPeltophorum pterocarpum
- Runner BeanPhaseolus coccineus
- White Brasiletto Climber, Camp SiegePterolobium hexapetalum
- Asoka Tree, True Asoka, Sita Asoka, Sesbania Pea, Canicha, Prickly SesbanSaraca asoca
- AshokSaraca indica
- Yellow SaracaSaraca thaipingensis
- Tree FuchsiaSchotia brachypetala
- Candle Cassia, Candle Bush, Carrion Crow Bush, Candlesticks, Empress Candle Plant, Ringworm Cassia, Winged SennaSenna alata
- Tinnavale Senna, Indian Senna, Alexandrian Senna, Bombay Senna, Indian Senna, Tinnervelly SennaSenna alexandrina
- Tanner's Cassia, Eared Senna, Tanner's Senna, Styptic WeedSenna auriculata
- Argentine SennaSenna corymbosa
- Hairy Sickle Pod, American Hairy SennaSenna hirsuta
- Italian SennaSenna italica
- Deccan SennaSenna montana
- Buttercup BushSenna multiglandulosa
- False SicklepodSenna multijuga
- Coffee Weed, Negro Coffee, Stinking Weed, Coffee Senna, Foetid Senna, SepticweedSenna occidentalis
- Desert SennaSenna polyphylla
- Siamese Tree Senna, Ironwood Tree, Siamese SennaSenna siamea
- Foetid Senna, Senna Sophera, Pepper Leaved SennaSenna sophera
- Popcorn Bush Cedar, Archibald's Cassia, Calceolaria Cassia, Golden Shower, Scented Shower, Fetid CassiaSenna spectabilis
- Sulphur Flowered Senna, Glaucous Cassia, Kolomona, Scrambled Egg BushSenna surattensis
- Foetid Cassia, Sickle Pod, Ring Worm Plant, Sickle Senna, Wild SennaSenna tora
- One-Leaf SennaSenna uniflora
- Tamarind Tree, Indian Date, SampalokTamarindus indica
- Pride Of BoliviaTipuana tipu
- Bauhinia foveolata
- Bauhinia ramosissima
- Bauhinia retusa
- Bauhinia scandens var. anguina
- Cassia indochinensis
- Cassia renigera
- Chamaecrista auricoma
- Chamaecrista leschenaultiana
- Cynometra beddomei
- Cynometra travancorica
- Humboldtia bourdillonii
- Humboldtia decurrens
- Humboldtia sanjappae
- Humboldtia unijuga var. unijuga
- Kingiodendron pinnatum
- Senna holosericea
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