Stereospermum colais

Yellow Snake Tree
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Bignoniaceae
Genus:	Stereospermum
Species:	S. colais
Binomial name
Stereospermum colais

The Yellow Snake Tree (Stereospermum colais) is 15–20 m tall, trunk 15–25 cm in diam, large leaves 25–50 cm; leaflets 3-6 on each side of midrib, long elliptic, 8-14 X 2.5–6 cm. Large, pale yellow, trumpet shaped flowers occur in panicles. Flowers are pale yellow, slightly curved, about 2 cm, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, tomentose at mouth, tube terete. Stereospermum colais is also known as Kodali murichi maram in Tamil, indicating the hardness of its wood. The fruit is long, 4-angular, slightly curved, 30–70 cm, about 1 cm in diameter. This, probably, is the source of its common name, snake tree.