Delonix regia

Delonix regia
Tree in full bloom in the Florida Keys
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Cesalpiniaceae
Genus:	Delonix
Species:	D. regia
Binomial name
Delonix regia (Boj. ex Hook.) Raf.

Delonix regia is a species of flowering plant from the Fabaceae family, Caesalpinioideae subfamilia, noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of flowers. In many tropical parts of countries around the world it is grown as an ornamental tree and in English it is given the name Royal Poinciana or Flamboyant. It is also one of several trees known as Flame tree.

In India it is known as Gulmohar (Hindi and Urdu -‘Gul’ means ‘Flower’ and ‘Mohr’ is 'Peacock', thus the name suggests a spectacular show of color, like the extraordinary colors of a peacock's tail^[1]). It is also known there as Krishnachura (Bengali: 'crown of the Lord Krishna). In Vietnamese it is known as Phượng vĩ (means "Phoenix's Tail) (Vietnamese), Malinche, and Tabachine.^[2] In Guatemala, Antigua Guatemala, it is known as "Llama del Bosque".

This species was previously placed in the genus Poinciana, named for Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, the 17th century governor of Saint Christophe (Saint Kitts), who is credited with introducing the plant to the Americas. Because it is a legume, the tree has nitrogen-fixating and soil-improving properties.

Description

The tree's vivid red/vermilion/orange/yellow flowers and bright green foliage make it an exceptionally striking sight.

Flower, leaves & pods in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Delonix regia var. flavida is a rarer, yellow-flowered variety.^[3]

In Bangalore, Karnataka, India

The Royal Poinciana is endemic to Madagascar, where it is found in the Madagascar dry deciduous forests. In the wild it is endangered, but it is widely cultivated elsewhere. In addition to its ornamental value, it is also a useful shade tree in tropical conditions, because it usually grows to a modest height but spreads widely, and its dense foliage provides full shade. In areas with a marked dry season, it sheds its leaves during the drought, but in other areas it is virtually evergreen.

Flower (Kibbutz Ginnosar, Israel)

The flowers are large, with four spreading scarlet or orange-red petals up to 8 cm long, and a fifth upright petal called the standard, which is slightly larger and spotted with yellow and white. The naturally occurring variety flavida has yellow flowers.^[3] Seed pods are dark brown and can be up to 60 cm long and 5 cm wide; the individual seeds, however, are small, weighing around 0.4 g on average. The compound leaves have a feathery appearance and are a characteristic light, bright green. They are doubly pinnate: Each leaf is 30–50 cm long and has 20 to 40 pairs of primary leaflets or pinnae on it, and each of these is further divided into 10-20 pairs of secondary leaflets or pinnules.

The Royal Poinciana requires a tropical or near-tropical climate, but can tolerate drought and salty conditions. It is very widely grown in the Caribbean, Africa, Northern Australia (as far south as South east Queensland, although in sheltered micro climates it can be successfully grown in some areas of Sydney), Hong Kong, the Canary Islands, Cyprus, Thailand, Taiwan and southern China, and is also the city tree of Tainan, Taiwan and Xiamen, Fujian Province, and People's Republic of China. National Cheng Kung University, a university located in Tainan, put Royal Poinciana on its emblem. It also grows throughout southern Brazil, with ornamental trees in Rio Grande do Sul (Canoas and Porto Alegre).^[4]

In the United States, it grows only in South Florida, Southwest Florida, the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, ranging from the low deserts of Southern Arizona (to as high as Tucson), Southern California, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, where it is the official tree of the islands. It is much loved in the Caribbean; for example, many Puerto Rican paintings feature Flamboyant Trees, it can also be found in The Bahamas as well. The Poinciana is also the national flower of St. Kitts and Nevis.

The Royal Poinciana is regarded as naturalised in many of the locations where it is grown, and is seen by some as an invasive species in some parts of Australia, partly because its dense shade and root system prevent the growth of other species under it. Although it is a very popular street plant in a lot of suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. It is also found in India and Pakistan, where it is referred to as the Gulmohar, or Gul Mohr.^[5] In West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh it is called Krishnachura.

In Puerto Rico, a town located about 12 miles away from Ponce, has been nicknamed "The Valley of the Flames" or "El Valle de los Flamboyanes", known as the town Penuelas. The people from this town are known as "Penolanos". The Flamboyant trees are spread around the surrounding Guyanes, Macana, and Tallaboa Rivers.

In Vietnam, this tree is called "Phượng vỹ", or phoenix's tail, and is a popular urban tree in much of Vietnam. Its flowering season is May - July, which coincides with the end of the school year in Vietnam. Because of this timing, the flower of Poinciana is sometimes called the "flower of pupil", and often generates strong emotions among graduating high school pupils, as the Poinciana bloom when they are about to leave their school and their childhood behind. Hai Phong city has a nickname of "City of red Poinciana" or "Thành phố hoa phượng đỏ".

The seed pods of the Royal Poincianas are used in the Caribbean as a percussion instrument known as the shak-shak or maraca.

Flowering season

Royal poinciana in Martin County, Florida, May

Gulmohar flowers in New Delhi

• South Florida: May–June
• Vietnam: May–July
• Caribbean: May–September
• India, Pakistan, Bangladesh: April–June
• Australia: December–February
• Northern Mariana Islands: March–June
• United Arab Emirates: April–June
• Philippines: April–June
• Brazil: November–February
• Southern Sudan: March–May
• Thailand: April–May
• Zimbabwe: October–December

References

1. ^ TheLovelyPlants.com, The Lovely Plants
2. ^ Presentación de PowerPoint
3. ^ ^{a b} Don Burke (1 November 2005). The complete Burke's backyard: the ultimate book of fact sheets. Murdoch Books. p. 269. ISBN 9781740457392. http://books.google.com/books?id=MMMjW6AuzHAC&pg=PA269. Retrieved 9 March 2011. 
4. ^ [1]
5. ^ Cowen, D. V. (1984). Flowering Trees and Shrubs in India, Sixth Edition. Bombay: THACKER and Co. Ltd.. p. 1. 

• Du Puy, D. et al. (1998). Delonix regia. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Vulnerable (VU B1+2c v2.3)
• Floridata data base
• ARKive - images and movies of the flame tree (Delonix regia)

External links

• Photo gallery: The Flamboyant Tree and the Peacock Flower
• Scientific information about Delonix regia