The broad-leaved coral tree (''Erythrina latissima'') is a
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, ...
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 ...
from southern Africa growing 5 to 8 m tall.
It is a member of the
Fabaceae and occurs naturally in the Afrotemperate mist-belt of
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
and
Eswatini to the uplands of
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
,
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...
and adjacent
Botswana
Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalaha ...
.
It is often cultivated as a tree for gardens and parks.
In Zimbabwe its range overlaps with the similar ''
Erythrina abyssinica
''Erythrina abyssinica'' (lucky bean or flame tree) is a tree species of the genus '' Erythrina'' belonging to the plant family of the Fabaceae (or Leguminosae) described by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in 1825. This leguminous tree species is ...
''.
It has
pubescent The adjective pubescent may describe:
* people or animals undergoing puberty
* plants that are hairy, covered in trichomes
* insects that are covered in setae
In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a ...
branchlets and fissured, corky bark. The foliage is soft and initially woolly in texture, with some prickles and prominently raised venation below.
[ Their scarlet flowers with red, densely velvety calyxes may appear from winter to early summer,][ usually before new foliage is produced. The fruit is a cylindrical articulated pod, bearing orange to red seeds with a black spot.][
]
Gallery
File:Erythrina latissima, bloeiwyse, a, Pretoria.jpg, Flowers and velvety red calyxes
File:Erythrina latissima, sade, Tuks.jpg,
File:Erythrina latissima, blaarondersy, a, Uniegeboutuine.jpg,
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5396417
latissima
Trees of South Africa
Trees of Africa
Ornamental trees