Erythrina

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.

  • Family

    Fabaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Erythrina

  • Description

    Genus Description - Trees or shrubs, usually armed with woody thorns. Leaves trifoliolate; stipules minute, deciduous; stipels minute, often glandular. Flowers large, showy, clustered in axillary or terminal pseudoracemes, the bracts and bracteoles minute, deciduous or persistent; calyx nearly bell-shaped or tubular, truncate at apex; corolla red, orange, or yellow, the standard elongate, oblong, involute, narrowed at base, much longer than the other petals, keel petal coherent; stamens 10, monadelphous or diadelphous; ovary stipitate, with 2 to several ovules, the style curved, the stigma capitate. Legume nearly cylindrical, constricted between seeds, dehiscent; seeds beanshaped, often bright orange.

    Distribution and Ecology - A genus of 100 species, with tropical distribution.