''Amherstia nobilis'' ( my, သော်ကကြီး ; the Pride of Burma, in the family

Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

) is a tropical tree with large, showy flowers. It is the only member of the genus ''Amherstia''. It is widely cultivated for

ornament An ornament is something used for decoration. Ornament may also refer to: Decoration * Ornament (art), any purely decorative element in architecture and the decorative arts * Biological ornament, a characteristic of animals that appear to serve ...

in the humid tropics, but is very rare in the wild and has only been collected from its native habitat a few times. It is native to Burma (

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

), hence the common name. The

scientific name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

commemorates Lady Amherst, (as does Lady Amherst's pheasant) and also her daughter Sarah.Wallich, Nathaniel. '' Plantae Asiaticae Rariores'' 1: 1. 1830

829 __NOTOC__ Year 829 ( DCCCXXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * October 2 – Emperor Michael II dies after an 8-year reign in C ...

br>
/ref> Another common name, orchid tree, is also used for members of the genus '' Bauhinia''.

Description

The extravagant flowers are seen hanging from the long inflorescence, or flower

stalk Stalk or stalking may refer to: Behaviour * Stalk, the stealthy approach (phase) of a predator towards its prey * Stalking, an act of intrusive behaviour or unwanted attention towards a person * Deer stalking, the pursuit of deer for sport Biol ...

, which is a bright

crimson Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, ''Kermes vermilio'', but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red colo ...

red at the end. There are 5

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s although 2 of these are minute and the rest are of unequal size. These petals are also crimson; the two medium-sized petals are yellow at the tip and the largest

is broad and fan-shaped with a wavy upper margin and a yellow triangle of colour extending from the lip down into the flower. This large petal can reach 7.5 centimetres long and over 4 centimetres wide at the end. There are either 9 or 10

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s, 9 of which are partially fused into a pink sheath; the stamens are of two differing lengths with the longer ones having larger

anther The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

s. The compound leaves bear 6 - 8 large leaflets; these are broadly oblong in shape and are pallid underneath. The fruits (

legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...

s) are 11 to 20 centimetres long. They are roughly scimitar-shaped ''pods'', and the woody outer case opens to disperse the seeds.

Gallery

File:AmherstiaNobilis.jpg, Flowers File:P1240147 Amherstia nobilis (fierté de Birmanie).jpg, ''Amherstia nobilis'' File:P1240149 Amherstia nobilis (fierté de Birmanie).jpg, ''Amherstia nobilis'' beginning of the inflorescence File:P1240150 Amherstia nobilis (fierté de Birmanie).jpg, ''Amherstia nobilis'' flowering File:P1240151 Amherstia nobilis (fierté de Birmanie).jpg, ''Amherstia nobilis'' detail of the flower File:Amherstia nobilis with flower, new red leaves, and mature green leaves.jpg, Flower, new red leaves, and mature green leaves File:Amherstia nobilis seedpod.jpg, Seedpod

References

External links

* *
From the ARKive digital database
Detarioideae Monotypic Fabaceae genera Trees of Myanmar Ornamental trees {{Detarioideae-stub