Erythrina

Read about Erythrina in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Erythrina (from Greek for red). Leguminosae. Coral-tree. Herbs, shrubs or trees, with large and showy papilionaceous flowers, for planting out and for greenhouse bloom; and open-ground subjects in Florida and California. Erect, or the herbs more or less reclining, usually spiny: Lvs. alternate, pinnately 3-foliolate, with small glanduliform stipules: fls. mostly red and in dense racemes; calyx 2-lipped or oblique; standard free or very nearly so, erect or spreading; tenth stamen free, or united only half its length: fr. a slender, more or less twisted pod; seeds mostly ovoid.—Known species about 50, in tropical and warm temperate regions around the world. Erythrinas are much prized garden plants. Some of them, particularly the herbaceous kinds, are frequently planted out in the summer. In the house they demand an intermediate temperature. Give rich soil and frequent waterings. In the woody species, aim to have well-ripened wood for flowering, for the bloom is produced on wood of the preceding year. The herbaceous species are propagated by division of the rootstock; also by cuttings from shoots springing from the old roots. Woody species are propagated by cuttings of growing wood. All species are propagated by seeds, whenever these are obtainable. Many species have been more or less grown or tried within the limits of the United States; some of them fail to bloom in southern California, probably because of insufficient summer heat. The forms more or less in cultivation are likely to be imperfectly or doubtfully determined botanically. Some of the erythrinas arc used as shade for coffee and cacao plantations. Herbaceous species (or treated as such). These die down at the end of the season, and the roots may be stored after the manner of dahlias. It is best to start the roots before planting them out, particularly in the N. In their native countries, these species are more or less woody. E. arborea. Small (E. herbacea var. arborea, Chapm.). Shrub or small tree, to 20 ft., armed: Lvs. with wire-like petiole and rachis; lfts. deltoid or hastately 3-lobed: fls. scarlet in racemes 4-8 in. long: pod 3-5 in. long, constricted between the seeds. Fla. Likely to be planted.—E. bogotensis appears in a European trade list of greenhouse plants.—E. constantiana, Mich. Tree, soft, the trunk thick and spiny: fls. large, scarlet, in racemes. Eu.—E. insignis. Tod. Tree, sparingly prickly: lfts. ovate, tomentose when young: fls. scarlet, in short and dense racemes. Origin unknown. Gt. 28:988. —E. vespertilio, Benth. Shrub, for a warm greenhouse: glabrous, branches prickly: Lvs. not prickly; lfts. broad-cuneate at base, 3 or 4 in. broad, usually 3-lobed, and the middle lobe of various shape and sometimes absent: fls. showy (red?) and many in racemes: standard ovate, recurved at top, nearly 1½ in. long: wings small, oblong: pod long, torulose; seeds few, large and red. Austral. G.Z., 30, p. I. —E. viarum, Tod. Tree, prickly: lfts. rhombic-ovate, tomentose when young, terminal one long-stalked: fls. scarlet, in many-fid. short racemes, the standard obovate. Origin unknown. L. H. B. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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Erythrina x sykesii in flower, Auckland, New Zealand

? Erythrina
Flower of the Coral Bean, Erythrina herbacea
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Subfamily: Faboideae Tribe: Phaseoleae Genus: Erythrina
Species
Over 100, see text

Erythrina is a genus of tropical and subtropical flowering trees in the Family Fabaceae and distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. The name coral tree is used for many of these trees. Many species of Erythrina have bright red flowers, and this may be the origin of the common name (Greek ερυθρος). However, the growth of the branches can resemble the shape of sea coral, and this is an alternative source for the name. In horticulture, the name "coral tree" is used to refer to any red-flowered member of the genus. Not all species of Erythrina have bright red flowers; the Wiliwili (E. sandwicensis) has extraordinary variation in its flower colour, with orange, yellow, salmon, green and white all being found within natural populations. This striking color polymorphism is likely unique in the genus.

There are about 130 species in the Genus Erythrina, some of them well known, as they are used widely in the tropics and subtropics as street and park trees, especially in drier areas. Some, such as the bucares of Venezuela, are used as shade trees for coffee or cacao crops. They grow up to 30 meters in height.

Species include:

• Erythrina americana
• Erythrina caffra - Coastal Coral Tree (South Africa)
• Erythrina crista-galli – Cockspur Coral Tree or Ceibo (South America)
• Erythrina edulis – Basul (Andes)
• Erythrina eggersii - Cock's-spur (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands)
• Erythrina flabelliformis – Kearney Coral Bean (Arizona, New Mexico)
• Erythrina fusca - Gallito (New and Old World tropics)
• Erythrina herbacea – Coral Bean (southeastern United States)
• Erythrina humeana – Natal Coral Tree (South Africa)
• Erythrina indica – Tiger Claw (Ryukyu Islands)
• Erythrina lysistemon – Common Coral Tree (South Africa)
• Erythrina poeppigiana - Bucare Ceibo (Northern South America)
• Erythrina mulungu (syn. E. verna) – Mulungu (South America)
• Erythrina sandwicensis – Wiliwili (Hawai‘i)
• Erythrina variegate Roluos tree (Cambodia)
• Erythrina variegata Tiger's Claw (tropical Asia and northern Australia)
• Erythrina verspertilio - Bat's wing coral tree, Been tree (Australia)

All species of Erythrina have bean-like seed pods, except E. sykesii which is sterile. The seeds of over 40 of the species contain alkaloids, and some of the Amazonian species are used for medicinal and other purposes by indigenous peoples.

Erythrina species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Endoclita damor, Hypercompe eridanus and Hypercompe icasia.

The Cockspur coral tree (E. crista-galli) is the national flower of Argentina.

The Costal coral tree (E. caffra) is the official city tree of Los Angeles, California (where it is referred to simply as the "coral tree").

External link

• List of species of Erythrina from LegumeWeb