Divi Divi
Caesalpinia coriaria
Also known as American Sumach
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- West Bengal
- Flowering
- May-November
How to identify Divi Divi
Identify Divi Divi by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Curled tannin-rich pods (divi-divi).
- Confirm leaf type: Bipinnately compound.
- Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
- Confirm fruit type: Legume.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: May-November.
- In India, compare location records such as West Bengal.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Caesalpinia coriaria
- Genus
- Caesalpinia
- Family
- Caesalpiniaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Planted
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- West Indies
- Distribution
- Tropical America and introduced into tropics
- Found in India
- West Bengal
- Flowering & fruiting
- May-November
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Bipinnately compoundrecordedThe leaf is divided twice — each 'leaflet' is itself a row of smaller leaflets, giving a fine, fern-like look.“Leaves are bipinnate, with 5–10 pairs of pinnae, each pinna with 15–25 pairs of leaflets;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Divi Divi itself; the rest are typical of the Caesalpiniaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded
- Fruit type
- LegumerecordedA dry pod that splits open along two seams (typical of the pea/bean family).“The fruit is a twisted pod 5 cm (2.0 in) long.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Divi Divi itself; the rest are typical of the Caesalpiniaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Tamil
- கோணவேல் kona-vel, திவிதிவி tivi-tivi
- Telugu
- దివిదివితుమ్మ dividivithumma
- Kannada
- ಡಿವಿಡಿವಿ dividivi, ಸೀಮೆ ಅಲ್ಡೆಕಾಯಿ seeme aldekayi, ವಿಲಾಯತೀ ಅಲ್ಡೆಕಾಯಿ ಮರ vilayati aldekayi mara
- Malayalam
- ഡിവി ഡിവി divi divi, ഡിവി ഡിവി, Caesalpinia coriari
- Marathi
- दिवी दिवी divi divi, लिबी डिबी libi dibi
About Divi Divi
Divi divi (Caesalpinia coriaria) belongs to the Caesalpiniaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in West Bengal. It is planted. Flowering and fruiting run from May to November.
Uses
Locally it is long used in traditional medicine and a source of dye or tannin. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.
In culture
It is used as an official or regional emblem.
Caesalpiniaceae
Senna family
Divi Divi belongs to the Caesalpiniaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
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