''Erythrina variegata'', commonly known as tiger's claw or Indian coral tree, is a species of '' Erythrina'' native to the tropical and subtropical regions of eastern Africa, the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India ...

, northern Australia, and the islands of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean east to Fiji.

Description

''E. variegata'' is a thorny

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, a ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

growing to tall. The leaves are pinnate with a petiole and three leaflets, each leaflet up to long and broad. It has dense clusters of scarlet or crimson

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

s and black

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosper ...

Uses

''Erythrina variegata'' is valued as an

ornamental tree Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

. Several

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s have been selected, including 'Alba' with white flowers. In Vietnam, the leaves are used to wrap fermented meat ( vi, nem). ''E. variegata'' is known as ''dapdap'' in many languages of the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

where its bark and leaves are used in alternative medicine. ''E. variegata'' is often used in agroforestry systems. It can be used for fodder as its foliage has a good nutritive value for most livestock. The seeds are poisonous in their raw state, but can be cooked and eaten. Along with the bark, the seeds were used to stupefy fish, making them easier to catch. The Formosan aboriginal tribe, the Puyuma carve a mortar called a ta?ur from the trunk of the tree. It is used for pounding sticky rice that is later to be steamed.

Cultural impact

''E. variegata'' was designated the official flower of

Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...

in 1967. The ''deigo'' flower features in the popular song "

Shima Uta is a genre of songs originating from the Amami Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture of southwestern Japan. It became known nationwide in the 2000s with the success of young pop singers from Amami Ōshima such as Hajime Chitose and Atari Kōsuke. ...

" by The Boom, one of the most well-known songs associated with Okinawa. In addition, the use of the wood of the ''deigo'' tree is one of the unique characteristics of Ryukyuan lacquerware. In Sri Lanka, the blossoming flowers of the tree are associated with the advent of the Sri Lankan (April) New Year.

References

External links

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Flowers of India - Indian Coral Tree
{{Taxonbar, from=Q715744 variegata Flora of Tanzania Flora of the Western Indian Ocean Flora of the Indian subcontinent Flora of China Flora of the Ryukyu Islands Flora of Taiwan Flora of Australia Flora of the Southwestern Pacific Flora of the south-central Pacific Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Trees in Buddhism