Delonix regia [family FABACEAE]

Herbarium
South African National Biodiversity Institute, Compton Herbarium, Cape Town (SAM)
Collection
Flora of Southern Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of South Africa, (2003) Author: Dr J.P. Roux
Names
Delonix regia [family FABACEAE]
Information
Unarmed deciduous tree with ± smooth greyish-brown bark. Leaves bipinnate: leaflets 10-32 pairs per pinna, 4-12 mm long, 2-5 mm wide, oblong. Stipules pinnately compound, often ± persistent. Inflorescences racemose. Petals 5, 3,5-6,5 cm long, subequal but the upper one slightly longer than the others, all scarlet or sometimes (especially the upper one and the claws of the others) ± yellow to whitish. Stamen-filaments shorter than the petals. Pods woody, 20-50 cm long, 3,5-5,5 cm wide, the seeds sunk in transverse depressions in the woody endocarp.
Habitat
In Durban many streets are lined with D. regia and in summer the scarlet flowers present a magnificent sight. The plants are unfortunately susceptible to the ravages of the white ant and, as trees have been known to collapse without warning, they are no longer so popular as street trees.
Use
Delonix regia (Boj. ex Hook.) Raf., Fl. Tellur. 2 : 92 (1836) (=Poinciana regia Boj. ex Hook, in Bot. Mag. 56 : t. 2884, 1829).
Range
D. regia, the well-known Flamboyant, a rare native of Madagascar, is grown for ornament in the eastern Transvaal and in Natal. Transvaal: Nelspruit district, Kruger National Park, Pretoriuskop, Van der Schijjf 1150. Letaba district, Tzaneen, Marais 95. Pretoria district, Union Building Gardens, Schlieben 10557. Natal: Durban, Hutchinson 1862, H. L. Forbes s.n. (K, NH).
Delonix regia [family FABACEAE]
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