Delonix regia
Delonix regia | |
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Tree in full bloom (Florida Keys) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
Genus: | Delonix |
Species: | D. regia
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Binomial name | |
Delonix regia | |
Synonyms | |
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Delonix regia is a species of
This species was previously placed in the genus Poinciana, named for Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, the 17th-century governor of Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts). It is a non-nodulating legume.
Description
The flowers of Delonix regia are large, with four spreading scarlet or orange-red petals up to 8 cm (3 in) long, and a fifth upright petal called the standard, which is slightly larger and spotted with yellow and white. They appear in corymbs along and at the ends of branches. The naturally occurring variety flavida (Bengali: Radhachura) has yellow flowers.[3] The pods are green and flaccid when young, then turn dark-brown and woody as they mature. They can be up to 60 cm (24 in) long and 5 cm (2 in) wide. The seeds are small, weighing around 0.4 grams (6.2 grains) on average. The compound (doubly pinnate) leaves have a feathery appearance and are a characteristic light, bright green. Each leaf is 30–50 cm (12–20 in) long with 20 to 40 pairs of primary leaflets or pinnae, each divided into 10–20 pairs of secondary leaflets or pinnules. Pollen grains are elongated, approximately 52 µm in size.[citation needed]
Distribution
Delonix regia is endemic to Madagascar's dry deciduous forests, but has been introduced into tropical and sub-tropical regions worldwide. In the wild it is endangered, but it is widely cultivated elsewhere and is regarded as naturalised in many of the locations where it is grown:
North America
In the continental United States, it grows in
Caribbean and Central America
In the Caribbean it is featured in many
South America
It grows in Paraguay and Brazil.[1]
Europe and the Middle East
Delonix regia is planted in Mediterranean parts of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, including the
Indian subcontinent
The tree is planted in India, where it is referred to as the May-flower tree, Gulmohar or Gul Mohr.
In Bangladesh it is known as krisnachura(কৃষ্ণচূড়া). You can find this tree in various places in Bangladesh. It is found all over Dhaka City and is one of the iconic symbols of the Bengali month of Boishakh. In Nepal it is known as Shirish.
Southeast Asia
In
East Asia
It grows in Southern China such as in
Australia
It is very widely grown in Northern Australia, in the southern extremes previously limited to South East Queensland where it is a popular street tree in the suburbs of Brisbane.[7] It blooms successfully in Sydney and other parts of New South Wales.[8]
Micronesia
It grows in
Africa
It is widely grown in Southern Nigeria and are quite common in Southern African countries, such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and Namibia.
Cultivation
Required conditions
The royal poinciana requires a tropical or near-tropical climate, but can tolerate drought and salty conditions. It thrives in open, free-draining sandy or loamy soil enriched with organic matter. The tree does poorly in heavy or clay soils, and flowers more profusely when kept slightly dry.
Propagation
Seeds
The royal poinciana is most commonly propagated by seeds. Seeds are collected, soaked in warm water for at least 24 hours, and planted in warm, moist soil in a semi-shaded, sheltered position. In lieu of soaking, the seeds can also be "nicked" or "pinched" (with a small pair of scissors or nail clipper) and planted immediately. These two methods allow moisture to penetrate the tough outer casing, stimulating germination. The seedlings grow rapidly and can reach 30 cm (12 in) in a few weeks under ideal conditions.
Cuttings
Less common, but just as effective, is propagation by semi-hardwood cuttings. Branches consisting of the current or last season's growth can be cut into 30 cm (12 in) sections and planted in a moist potting mixture. This method is slower than seed propagation (cuttings take a few months to root) but is the preferred method for ensuring new trees are true to form. As such, cuttings are a particularly common method of propagation for the rarer yellow-flowering variety of the tree.
Usefulness
In addition to its ornamental value, it is a useful shade tree in tropical conditions, because it usually grows to a modest height (mostly 5 m or 15 ft, but it can reach a maximum height of 12 m or 40 ft) but spreads widely, and its dense foliage provides full shade. In areas with a marked dry season, it sheds its leaves during the drought, but in other areas it is virtually evergreen.
Cultural significance
In the Indian state of Kerala, royal poinciana is called kaalvarippoo (കാൽവരിപ്പൂവ്, kālvarippūv) which means "the flower of Calvary". There is a popular belief among Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala that when Jesus was crucified, there was a small royal poinciana tree nearby his Cross. It is believed that the blood of Jesus Christ was shed over the flowers of the tree and this is how the flowers of royal poinciana got a sharp red color.[9] It is also known as Vaaga in many areas of Kerala.
Its blossom is the national flower of
In Vietnam, this tree is called Phượng vỹ, or "phoenix's tail", and is a popular urban tree in much of Vietnam. Its flowering season is May–July, which coincides with the end of the school year in Vietnam. Because of this timing, the flower of poinciana is sometimes called the "pupil's flower". The tree is also commonly found on school grounds in Vietnam, however after several incidents where a tree has fallen onto students, with one student killed, schools started cutting down or severely pruning the trees.
The song "Poinciana" was inspired by the presence of this tree in Cuba.
Gallery
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Flower (Kibbutz Ginnosar, Israel)
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Flowering tree (Mauritius)
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Close up of bark
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Seed pods visible on upper branches (Gordonvale, Queensland, Australia)
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A bonnet macaque eating flowers
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New leaves and fruits in the early morning light
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Gulmahor tree (Delonix regia) with flowers, Haridwar, India
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Delonix regia var. flavida is a rarer, yellow-flowered variety[3]
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Close-up of part of a leaf
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Crescent Lake, Dhaka, with Delonix regia
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Delonix regia (New Borg El Arab, Egypt)
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Seeds after soaking them in water for 6 days
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Pollen grains of Delonix regia
References
- ^ . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Delonix regia (Hook.) Raf. — The Plant List". theplantlist.org.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-74045-739-2. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ Gilman, Edward F. & Watson, Dennis G. (24 April 2019). "ENH387/ST228: Delonix regia: Royal Poinciana". ufl.edu.
- Bombay: Thacker and Co. Ltd. p. 1.
- ^ Devendra, Tissa (3 November 2020). "Lamasuriya trees". Island Newspaper. Colombo.
- ^ "Brisbane's beautiful Jacarandas and other flowering trees". Brisbane City Council. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "How the jacaranda became the crown jewel of Sydney's springtime". Time Out Sydney. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Thomas, Annamma (1984). Kerala Immigrants in America: A Sociological Study of the St. Thomas Christians. Simons Printers. p. 34.
- ^ "How We Are Governed, St. Kitts & Nevis - National Symbols". Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- ^ Filosa, Gwen (16 May 2018). "It's invasive and filled with bugs. It's also pretty, and now Key West's official tree". FL Keys News.
- ^ "Bunga Rasmi Mpsepang". Portal Rasmi Majlis Perbandaran Sepang. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
- ^ "'Don't kill 'em all,' experts urge as schoolyard trees 'massacred' following fatal middle school accident". 8 June 2020.
Further reading
External links
- Media related to Delonix regia at Wikimedia Commons
- Scientific information about Delonix regia
- Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau. DENR Recommends (PDF). Vol. 4, Guidelines for the Establishment of Forest Parks. Government of the Philippines.
- Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). "Delonix regia". African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.