Tabebuia aurea (Silva Manso) S.Moore
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
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Family
Bignoniaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Small tree to 10 m tall; branches nearly cylindrical or angular, densely covered with dotlike scales. Leaves digitate-compound, with (3-)5-7, long-petioluled leaflets; leaflets 5.5-14 x 1.5-2.7 cm, oblong, narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, chartaceous to coriaceous, densely covered with dotlike scales on both surfaces, midvein prominent on lower side, the apex obtuse or acute, the base obtuse or rounded, sometimes oblique, the margins entire and strongly revolute; petioles and petiolules furrowed on upper surface; the petiolules 1-4.5 cm long, swollen at apex, the petiole 4.5-9 cm long, swollen at base. Flowers on short terminal racemes. Calyx bell-shaped with 5 irregular lobes, ca. 1.5 cm long, densely covered with dotlike scales; corolla yellow, 5-6 cm long, funnel-shaped, the lobes ca. 1.5 cm long, rounded; stamens included; ovary oblong, lepidote, the style solitary, the stigma peltate. Fruit 10-12 x 1-1.2 cm, grayish, oblong, beaked at apex. Seeds oblong, 2 cm long, with membranous hyaline whitish wings.
Distribution and Ecology - Uncommon, introduced species, planted in gardens and along roadsides. Coral Bay (A2027, V3120). Native to Brazil but widely planted throughout tropical America.
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Discussion
Tecoma caraiba Mart., Flora 24 (Beibl. 2): 14. 1841. Tabebuia caraiba (Mart.) Bureau, Vidensk. Meddel. Dansk Naturhist. Foren. Kj0benhavn 1893: 113. 1893.
Common name: yellow oak.