Common name: Indian Coral Tree, Lenten tree, Tiger claw • Hindi: Pangara पंगार • Manipuri: Korou angangba • Tamil: கல்யாண முருஂகை Kalyana murungai
Botanical name: Erythrina variegata Family: Fabaceae (pea family) Synonyms: Erythrina indica, Erythrina mysorensis, Erythrina orientalis
Indian Coral Tree is a showy, spreading tree legume with brilliant red
blossoms. This highly valued ornamental has been described as one of
the gems of the floral world. It is a picturesque, broad and
spreading, deciduous tree that can get 60-80 ft tall and spread
20-40 ft It has many stout branches that are armed with black
tiger's claw spines. There are curved spines (really more like prickles) on
the long leaf stalks too. The leaves are compound, with three diamond shaped
leaflets, each about 6 in long. Before the leaves come out in late
winter or early spring, coral tree puts on a spectacular show with bright
crimson flowers 2-3 in long in dense terminal clusters. It may
flower a little during the summer, too. The beanlike pods that follow the
flowers are cylindrical, about 15 in long, and constricted between
the reddish brown seeds. The naturally occurring variety orientalis has the
veins of its leaflets highlighted with yellow or pale green. 'Parcellii', with
yellow variegated leaves, may be just another name for the same variety.
'Alba' has white flowers.
| Photographed in Lodhi Garden,
Delhi |
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