Erythrina

Erythrina crista -galli

The coral trees ( Erythrina ) are a genus of woody plants in the subfamily of the Fabaceae ( Faboideae ).

The botanical name (Greek: ερυθρος, erythros = red) refers to the red in most species of the genus flowers.

Description

The plants are mostly trees, rare shrubs or subshrubs, swelled their underground rhizomes or tuberous and succulent sometimes. The sometimes succulent swollen trunks are often armed with sickle-shaped or conical spines. The leaves are always divided into three sheets. Both the leaves and forests as well as the part leaves bear stipules. The stipules of the leaves are partly persistent, partly sloping, the. Portion of the leaves usually fleshy or glandular

The panicle, terminal or appearing in leaf axils inflorescences wear the flowers in groups of three on hairy, deciduous bracts. The flowers have five sepals and petals. The sepals are fused into a tube with very variable shape. The flag of the petals is merged, sickle-shaped, oblong or rounded, and encloses the flourishing mostly the inner flower parts, the wings are sickle-shaped, fused the petals of the boat or even free. The ten stamens, which are sometimes partly covered with the flag, stand in one or two groups. The ovary is stalked, densely hairy and usually elongated or spindle-shaped. Fertilization takes place (mostly ) held by birds. The wholly or partially woody, aufreißende at maturity at a seam legume contains elliptical, smooth, red or brown seeds.

Systematics and distribution

The with about 108-120 species rather large genus is widespread in the tropics and subtropics worldwide. Since most species bear impressive, red to orange-colored flowers, some are also to be found outside their natural distribution areas as ornamental plants. In Central Europe they are ( with warm winter ) held because of their sensitivity to cold almost exclusively as potted plants. The succulent species are rarely seen in collections.

We distinguish five subgenera with a total of 26 sections.

Subgenera

• Micropteryx ( Walp ) F.G.Baker
• Erythrina
• Tripterolobus Barnepy and Krukoff
• Chirocalyx ( Meisn. ) Harv.
• Erythraster Barneby and Krukoff

Types (selection)

• Erythrina acanthocarpa E.Mey: one to 2 m tall, succulent shrub from the Eastern Cape of South Africa ( sub-genus Erythrina ).
• Erythrina baumii Harms: growing in Angola, Congo and Zambia succulent subshrub forming horizontal underground stems growing.
• Erythrina caffra Thunb. , A 12 m tall tree from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu -Natal in South Africa ( sub-genus Erythrina ).
• Erythrina crista -galli L.: the most famous " Hahnenkamm tree " or " coral tree " type is called in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay is home ( subgenus Micropteryx ).
• Erythrina decora Harms: an indigenous to Namibia, succulent tree with strongly thickened trunk.
• Erythrina edulis Triana: a 14 m tall tree from the tropical highlands of South America (Andean subgenus Erythrina )
• Erythrina flabelliformis Kearney: a southern U.S. and Mexico widespread, succulent tree with a swollen base and up to 8 m height ( subgenus Erythrina ).
• Erythrina herbacea L.: a SO from the United States via Mexico to Central America to widespread shrub of about 1 m.
• Erythrina humeana explosive. Occurring one in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa shrub of about 1.5 m height ( subgenus Erythrina ).
• Erythrina latissima E.Mey: one in South Africa and Zimbabwe, growing up to 8 m tall tree.
• Erythrina lysistemon Hutch. In South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Angola widespread tree of up to 12 m height ( subgenus Erythrina ).
• Erythrina mendesii Torre: similar Erythrina baumii is growing in Zambia, Angola, Namibia and Botswana kind of a succulent shrub with horizontally growing underground stems.
• Erythrina mulungu Mart. Comes from Brazil.
• Erythrina variegata L.: the flower color of India and Indonesia coming, to 20 m high Indian Coral tree varies from red to pure white ( subgenus Erythraster ).
• Erythrina vogelii Hook.f.; this species occurs in Africa
• Erythrina zeyheri Harvey: these more succulent species with underground stems is in Zimbabwe, Lesotho and South Africa at home ( subgenus Erythrina ).