- Peltophorum pterocarpum
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Peltophorum pterocarpum 
Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Rosids Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Genus: Peltophorum Species: P. pterocarpum Binomial name Peltophorum pterocarpum
(DC.) K. HeynePeltophorum pterocarpum ('Copperpod, Golden Flamboyant, Yellow Flamboyant, Yellow Flame Tree, Yellow Poinciana, Perunkonrai (பெருங்கொன்றை) in Tamil, Radhachura in Bangla) is a species of Peltophorum, native to tropical southeastern Asia and a popularly ornamental tree grown around the world.
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Description
It is a deciduous tree growing to 15–25 m (rarely up to 50 m) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 1 m. The leaves are bipinnate, 30-60 cm long, with 16-20 pinnae, each pinna with 20-40 oval leaflets 8-25 mm long and 4-10 mm broad. The flowers are yellow, 2.5-4 cm diameter, produced in large compound racemes up to 20 cm long.
The fruit is a pod 5-10 cm long and 2.5 cm broad, red at first, ripening black, and containing one to four seeds. Trees begin to flower after about four years.[1][2]
Distribution
Peltophorum pterocarpum is native to tropical southeastern Asia and northern Australasia, in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines(doubtfully native), and the islands off the coast of Northern Territory, Australia.[3][1]
Uses
The tree is widely grown in tropical regions as an ornamental tree, particularly in India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Florida and Hawaii in the United States. The trees have been planted alternately in India as a common scheme for avenue trees in India alternately with Delonix regia (Gulmohur) to give a striking yellow and red effect in summer, as has been done on on Hughes road in Mumbai.[4]
The wood has a wide variety of uses, including cabinet-making[5] and the foliage is used as a fodder crop.[1]
References
- ^ a b c World AgroForestry Centre: Yellow Poinciana
- ^ Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
- ^ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Peltophorum pterocarpum
- ^ Blatter, Ethelbert; Millard, Walter Samuel (1977) [1937]. Some beautiful Indian Trees (2 ed.). Mumbai: Bombay natural History Society. pp. 165.
- ^ McCann, Charles. (1966). 100 Beautiful Trees of India. (3/ed) Taraporevala, Mumbai. Pg 259.
Categories:- Peltophorum
- Flora of Indonesia
- Flora of Malaysia
- Flora of the Northern Territory
- Trees of Papua New Guinea
- Flora of the Philippines
- Flora of Sri Lanka
- Trees of Thailand
- Flora of Vietnam
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