Taxon:  Biancaea decapetala (Roth) O. Deg.



Summary
Genus:
Biancaea
Family:
Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)
Subfamily:
Caesalpinioideae
Tribe:
Caesalpinieae
Nomen number:
478611
Place of publication:
O. Degener, Fl. Hawaiiensis K 7.  1936
Comment:
  • in introductory material, not in family treatments
  • see Taxon 34:231. 1985 for bibliographic details of Flora Hawaiiensis
Verified:
09/06/2017 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
16 (1  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Reichardia decapetala Roth

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alston

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Biancaea sepiaria (Roxb.) Tod.
Caesalpinia japonica Siebold & Zucc.
Caesalpinia sepiaria Roxb.

No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Invasive species of South Africa Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
  2. Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource). Note: as Biancaea sepiaria, introduced
  3. Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand. Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala, introduced
  4. Chaudhary, C. M. et al. 2021. Caesalpinia decapetala (Roith) Alston. In: Kunwar, R. M. et al., Ethnobotany of the Himalayas 431-438. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-57408-6_43. Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
  5. Gagnon, E. et al. 2016. A new generic system for the pantropical Caesalpinia group (Leguminosae). PhytoKeys 71:71. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.71.9203.
  6. Mill, S. W. et al. 1985. Bibliography of Otto and Isa Degeners' Hawaiian floras. Taxon 34:229-259. Note: see details of how to cite and find page numbers in Degener works
  7. Ohashi, H. 2012. Review of Fabaceae Japan, Taiwan data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm. Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
  8. Wagner, W. L. et al. Flora of the Hawaiian Islands (on-line resource). Note: accessed 31 March 2023
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
EnglishMauritius-thorn  1Invasive species of South Africa Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
EnglishMysorethorn  1Invasive species of South Africa Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Englishthorny poinciana  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource). Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Englishwait-a-while  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource). Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Englishwoody wait-a-while  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource). Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Afrikaanskraaldoring  2Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12 Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
GermanMauritius-dorn  2Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1261. Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Japanese Rōmajijaketsu-ibara  2Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.).
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChina except w. & n.e.Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaJapan  Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaKorea  Zhu, X. Y. et al. 2007. Legumes of China: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentBangladesh  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentBhutan  Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndia  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentNepal  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentPakistan  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentSri Lanka  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaLaos  Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1960-. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaMyanmar  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaThailand  Smitinand, T. & K. Larsen, eds. 1970-. Flora of Thailand.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaVietnam  Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1960-. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaIndonesia  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaMalaysia  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaPhilippines  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
2Cultivated    widely cult. in tropics & subtropics 
4NaturalizedAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEthiopia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSudan  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaAngola  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMalawi  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMozambique  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZambia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZimbabwe  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaSouthern AfricaEswatini  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth Africa  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest Tropical AfricaLiberia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNigeria  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCameroon  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaDemocratic Republic of the Congo  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaRwanda  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAfricaWestern Indian OceanReunion  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaNew South Wales Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaQueensland Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaNew ZealandNew ZealandKermadec Islands Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
4NaturalizedNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesFlorida Isely, D. 1975. Leguminosae of the United States: II. Subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25(2):37.
4NaturalizedNorthern AmericaSouthwestern U.S.A.United StatesCalifornia Isely, D. 1975. Leguminosae of the United States: II. Subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25(2):37.
4NaturalizedPacificNorth-Central PacificUnited StatesHawaii Wagner, W. L. et al. Flora of the Hawaiian Islands (on-line resource). Note: accessed 31 March 2023
4NaturalizedPacificSouthwestern PacificNew Caledonia  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanBarbados  Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanCuba  Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanDominica  Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanGuadeloupe  Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanHispaniola  Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanJamaica  Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanMartinique  Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanSt. Lucia  Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanSt. Vincent and Grenadines  Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanUnited StatesPuerto Rico Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource). Note: as Biancaea sepiaria, introduced
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaPeru  Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
Native
Asia-Temperate
  • CHINA: China (except w. & n.e.)
  • EASTERN ASIA: Korea, Japan
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan
  • INDO-CHINA: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
  • MALESIA: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines
Cultivated (widely cult. in tropics & subtropics)
Naturalized
Africa
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia, Sudan
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Liberia, Nigeria
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: Eswatini, South Africa
  • WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Reunion
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia [New South Wales, Queensland]
  • NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand [Kermadec Islands]
Northern America
  • SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida]
  • SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [California]
Pacific
  • NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]
  • SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC: New Caledonia
Southern America
  • CARIBBEAN: Hispaniola, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Martinique, United States [Puerto Rico], St. Vincent and Grenadines
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Peru

Reference(s)
  1. Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource). Note: as Biancaea sepiaria, introduced
  2. Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
  3. Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
  4. Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1960-. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam.
  5. Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
  6. Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.
  7. Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
  8. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  9. Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
  10. Isely, D. 1975. Leguminosae of the United States: II. Subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25(2):37.
  11. Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
  12. Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
  13. Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
  14. Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
  15. Smitinand, T. & K. Larsen, eds. 1970-. Flora of Thailand.
  16. Wagner, W. L. et al. Flora of the Hawaiian Islands (on-line resource). Note: accessed 31 March 2023
  17. Zhu, X. Y. et al. 2007. Legumes of China: a checklist
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalboundary/barrier/supportas Caesalpinia decapetalaHoward, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: accepts; cult.
Environmentalboundary/barrier/supportas Caesalpinia decapetalaLiberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Environmentalboundary/barrier/supportas Caesalpinia decapetalaWeber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Environmentalboundary/barrier/supportas Caesalpinia decapetalaMabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2 Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Materialsbeads Smith, R. J. Botanical beads of the world (on-line resource). Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Medicinesfolklore Ohashi, H. 2012. Review of Fabaceae Japan, Taiwan data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm. Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Medicinesfolklore Chaudhary, C. M. et al. 2021. Caesalpinia decapetala (Roith) Alston. In: Kunwar, R. M. et al., Ethnobotany of the Himalayas 431-438. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-57408-6_43. Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Weed  Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Weed  Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12 Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Weed as Caesalpinia decapetalaHolm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Weed of disturbed sites, forests margins, roadsides and riverine vegetationChaudhary, C. M. et al. 2021. Caesalpinia decapetala (Roith) Alston. In: Kunwar, R. M. et al., Ethnobotany of the Himalayas 431-438. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-57408-6_43. Note: as Caesalpinia decapetala
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=478611. Accessed 12 May 2026.