Spathodea
African Tulip Tree ( Spathodea campanulata )
The African tulip tree ( Spathodea campanulata ) is a species of the family Bignoniaceae ( Bignoniaceae ).
Description
The tree reaches heights of growth up to 21 meters, from West Africa but specimens have also been reported with a height of 30 meters. It grows very quickly and reaches a thickness growth of the shoot axis of about five centimeters in diameter per year. The strain reaches a thickness of up to 1.75 meters.
The leaves are large long between 30 and 60 centimeters leaflets from 5 to 19 leaflets. Each pinna is 7.5 to 15 inches long and between 4 and 7.5 inches wide. The underside is covered with rust-colored trichomes.
The flowers are up to ten inches long and bell-shaped. They are in a terminal panicle. The plant flowers for the first time at the age of three to four years. The color of the crown varies from red to the yellow. The sepals are light brown with dark spots. The four stamens are bright yellow to the brown anthers.
After flowering occur until 15 to 22 centimeters long fruit capsules. The seeds are light brown and very light.
Dissemination
The African tulip tree grows naturally in tropical secondary forests in the highlands, as well as in tropical deciduous forests, savanna woodlands and transitional forests.
The natural range extends along the African Atlantic coast of Ghana south to Angola and from there through the moist inland areas of the continent to Sudan and Uganda. The northern boundary of the range is the 12 ° northern latitude and the southern boundary of 12 ° south latitude.
Because of its attractive flowers of the tree was cultivated in many places outside of Africa as an ornamental plant and is as wild, so there are many neophyte occurrence today. These include: Colombia, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, Hawaii, Sri Lanka and Guam.
Use
The soft wood of the tree is used in part for paper making and carpentry work. The leaves, its flowers and pieces of bark are used in folk medicine for the preparation of agents against skin diseases.
System
In addition to the African tulip tree, there are about 80 other species of the genus Spathodea:
- Spathodea acuminata
- Spathodea adenantha
- Spathodea adenophylla
- Spathodea alba
- Spathodea alternifolia
- Spathodea amoena
- Spathodea arcuata
- Spathodea atrovirens
- Spathodea bracteosa
- Spathodea campanulata
- Spathodea Candolleana
- Spathodea caracasana
- Spathodea cauda
- Spathodea clematidifolia
- Spathodea coito
- Spathodea comosa
- Spathodea consanguinea
- Spathodea corymbosa
- Spathodea crispa
- Spathodea cymosa
- Spathodea danckelmannii
- Spathodea danckelmaniana
- Spathodea diepenhorstii
- Spathodea dolichandra
- Spathodea falcata
- Spathodea fenzliana
- Spathodea fififormis
- Spathodea filiformis
- Spathodea flaviflora
- Spathodea fraxinifolia
- Spathodea gigantea
- Spathodea glandulosa
- Spathodea grandiflora
- Spathodea heterophylla
- Spathodea hispida
- Spathodea ignea
- Spathodea ilicifolia
- Spathodea indica
- Spathodea jenischii
- Spathodea kohautiana
- Spathodea laurifolia
- Spathodea laevis
- Spathodea lobbii
- Spathodea longiflora
- Spathodea loureiriana
- Spathodea lutea
- Spathodea luzonica
- Spathodea macroloba
- Spathodea magnolioides
- Spathodea mansoana
- Spathodea mollis
- Spathodea montana
- Spathodea nilotica
- Spathodea obovata
- Spathodea obtusifolia
- Spathodea orinocensis
- Spathodea ovata
- Spathodea pentandra
- Spathodea pisoniana
- Spathodea platypoda
- Spathodea podopogon
- Spathodea portoricensis
- Spathodea puberula
- Spathodea rheedii
- Spathodea rostrata
- Spathodea roxburghii
- Spathodea schomburgkii
- Spathodea Serratula
- Spathodea serrulata
- Spathodea speciosa
- Spathodea stipulata
- Spathodea suaveolens
- Spathodea tenuifolia
- Spathodea tomentosa
- Spathodea tulipifera
- Spathodea uncata
- Spathodea uncinata
- Spathodea velutina
- Spathodea vernicosa
- Spathodea xylocarpa
- Spathodea zanzibarica