species: Caesalpinia pulcherrima
common name: peacock flower
family: Fabaceae
where & when encountered: Monterey County - 2014
I was struck by this flowering shrub for years before I identified it in 2014 at a garden center in Salinas. Possibly of Caribbean origin, this is the national flower of Barbados. Generally considered toxic, the roots have been used by indigenous Latin America to induce abortions. Nowadays it is a popular ornamental.
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