Zone 2 (Mahilaashram Campus)

INFORMATION

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Tracheophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Fabales

Family: Fabaceae

Genus: Delonix

Species: D. regia

Scientific Name: Delonix regia

Photograph of plant

Other names: Flamboyant

Royal poinciana

Flame tree Gul mohar

Description:

Growth Form It is deciduous in climates with a dry season, shedding its leaves at the end of the wet season. In Singapore and other places without pronounced seasonality, the time of leaf-shedding varies among individuals. Small tree (9-15 m tall) with an umbrella-shaped crown. Bark grey and smooth. Short trunk having buttress roots. Branches weak and prone to breakage by wind.

Crown Trunk

Foliage

Bipinnately compound leaves have alternate leaf arrangement (20-60 cm long). Each leaf has 9-25 pairs of pinnae; each pinnae consists of 14-30 pairs of leaflets. Leaflets are small and oblong (8-10 mm long, 3- 4 mm wide). Flowers bright red and orange (10-13 cm in diameter). Each flower has 5 similar-sized petals. One of these is a white or light pink standard petal that has red streaks. Petals are round near the apex and narrow to a thin strip near the base. It tends to shed half its leaves before blooming. Flowers bloom abundantly, sometimes covering the crown in red flowers. They have a subtle fragrance.

Flowers

Fruits

Pods that are initially green and flexible become reddish brown or black, woody and gently curved (30-75 cm long, 5-8 cm wide) at maturity. Pods each contain 20-45 hard, oblong, somewhat flattened seeds (2 cm in length). They split open to release the seeds at maturity.

Habitat

Cultivation

Tolerant of a variety of soils that range from acidic to alkaline and loamy to rocky, but it prefers soils with

Occurs at altitudes of 0-1,000 m and rainfall of 750-3,000 mm. It is often found in dry, tropical savannas good drainage. Prune severely to keep it compact, lightly prune the tree to promote a fuller crown. Grows quickly in fertile soil (1.5 m per year) until it reaches maturity; poor soil will slow its growth. Water seedlings thoroughly until they become established, and then, only during severe droughts afterwards. The tree flowers more abundantly in drier soils compared to moist soils. Reduce watering to a minimum when the plant is in dormancy. Requires little nutrients, because it receives nutrients from nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Flowering may begin after 5-10 years of growth. Protect plants from termites.

• Medicinal Uses:

Antimicrobial

Anti-diarrheal

Antidiabetic

Antibacterial

Hepatoprotective

Anti-inflammatory

Carminative

Antipyretic

 Other uses:

Antioxidant

Often used in parks, gardens and roadsides due to its bright red flowers. Make an excellent shade or focal point tree. It is salt tolerant and may be planted near the coast, but not directly on an open beach. Tolerant of the often poor growing conditions of urban landscapes.

• Cultural Value:

Here is a popular belief among Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala that when Jesus was crucified, there was a small royal poinciana tree nearby his Cross. It is believed that the blood of Jesus Christ was shed over the flowers of the tree and this is how the flowers of royal poinciana got a sharp red color.

Sources: https://www.phytojournal.com/archives/2016/vol5issue6/PartD/5-6-7-154.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delonix_regia#text-Cultural significance;- In9620the Indian&text=It is believed that the, in many areas of Kerala.