''Delonix'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the family

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

Caesalpinioideae. It contains

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, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

s that are native to

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

and

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

. By far the best known species is the Royal Poinciana ('' D. regia''). The name of the genus is derived from the Greek words δηλος (''delos''), meaning "evident," and ονυξ (''onyx''), meaning "claw," referring to the

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s. The common name, poinciana, comes from a former genus of the same name in which the members of the current genus ''Delonix'' were classified along with plants now placed in the genus '' Caesalpinia''.

Species

12 species are accepted:

Use

These plants (collectively known as or ) release brown resin lumps that can be dissolved to make glue, or sucked as edible sweets among the Malagasy. Their seeds too are roasted and eaten as a snack in the south.

References

External links

* * Fabaceae genera Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque {{Caesalpinioideae-stub