Guilandina bonduc L.
Guilandina crista auct. non (L.) Small
Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb.
Gray nicker, nickerbean, yellow nicker
Nickerbean is widespread on tropical sea-shores.
Plants: Plants are a liana—a woody climber, like a vine—that clambers over other plants, reaching lengths of up to 98′ (30 m). Branches are covered with straight or recurved spines.
Leaves: Bipinnate, with 3-9 pairs of pinnae, and 6-9 pairs of leaflets per pinna. Leaflets are ovate-oblong to elliptic-oblong, and ½–1¾ ⨉ ¼–⅞″ (1.5–5 cm ⨉ 8–25 mm).
Flowers: Flowers are in racemes, yellow or greenish yellow, ⅜–½″ (1–1.4 cm) long.
Fruits: Seed pods are initially green, becoming very dark brown to black. Each pod is covered with prickles, resembling a porcupine fish, and contains one or two pale gray or olive gray “nickernuts” about ¾″ (2 cm) in size. The nuts are dispersed by floating in the ocean.
Habitats: Mostly coastal, in scrub, on sand dunes and on upper shores.
Online References:
Www.seabean.com (Great photos)
Caesalpinia crista auct. non L.
Guilandina bonduc L.
Guilandina crista auct. non (L.) Small
Guilandina bonduc L.
Guilandina crista auct. non (L.) Small
4/10/2015 · Gulf Coast Visitor Center, Everglades National Park, Everglades City, Florida · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) 
4/13/2015 · Flamingo Campground, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm) 
4/13/2015 · Flamingo Campground, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (47 × 31 cm) 
4/10/2015 · Gulf Coast Visitor Center, Everglades National Park, Everglades City, Florida 
4/10/2015 · Gulf Coast Visitor Center, Everglades National Park, Everglades City, Florida · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) 
4/13/2015 · Flamingo Campground, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 8 × 6″ (20 × 14 cm) 
4/10/2015 · Gulf Coast Visitor Center, Everglades National Park, Everglades City, Florida 
4/13/2015 · Flamingo Campground, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 8 × 6″ (20 × 14 cm) 
4/13/2015 · Flamingo Campground, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 15 cm) 
4/13/2015 · Flamingo Campground, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 15 × 10″ (37 × 25 cm) 
4/13/2015 · Flamingo Campground, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 4½ × 4″ (12 × 10 cm) 
4/13/2015 · Flamingo Campground, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm) 
4/13/2015 · Flamingo Campground, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (47 × 31 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Rosidae | Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more |
| Order | Fabales | Legumes (pea and bean families) |
| Family | Fabaceae | Legume family (peas and beans) |
| Genus | Caesalpinia | Named after Andrea Cesalpino (1519-1603) of Italy |
| Species | bonduc | From French; then Arabic bunduq, “hazelnut;” then Greek Pontikòn (káryon), hazelnut, literally, Pontic nut |
Caesalpinia bonduc description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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