Peltophorum pterocarpum

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Peltophorum pterocarpum

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Genus: Peltophorum
Species: P. pterocarpum
Binomial name
Peltophorum pterocarpum
(DC.) K. Heyne

Peltophorum pterocarpum (Copperpod, Golden Flamboyant, Yellow Flamboyant, Yellow Flame Tree, Yellow Poinciana, Radhachura in Bangla) is a species of Peltophorum, 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.[1][2]

Flower, buds, leaves, fruit in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Flower, buds, leaves, fruit in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

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.[2][3]

Contents

[edit] Cultivation and uses

Peltophorum pterocarpum is widely grown in tropical regions as an ornamental tree, particularly in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Florida and Hawaii in the United States. The wood has a wide variety of uses, and the foliage is used as a fodder crop.[2]

Vallabh Vidyanagar a small town (approx 3sq Kms) has more or less 600 Peltophorum pterocarpum planted on its road sides by late Bhaikaka in past and now by Bhaikaka Foundation, many of them are saved from axe by a NGO called Vidyanagar Nature Club (VNC).

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Peltophorum pterocarpum
  2. ^ a b c World AgroForestry Centre: Yellow Poinciana
  3. ^ Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.

[edit] Gallery

Foliage and flowers

Trees

Seeds

Tree in new leaves in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Leaves & new buds in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Seed pods in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Flowering canopy in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Peltophorum pterocarpum (yellow) with Delonix regia (red)
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