Erythrina lysistemon
Erythrina lysistemon -
MHNT Erythrina lysistemon is a species of deciduous tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to South Africa. Common names include common coral tree, lucky bean tree, umsintsi (Xhosa), muvhale (Venda), mophete (Tswana), koraalboom of kanniedood (Afrikaans), mokhungwane (Sotho) and umsinsi (Zulu). It is regularly cultivated as a tree for gardens and parks.
Description
Common coral tree reaches 30 to 40 ft (9.1 to 12.2 m) in height, with smooth grayish bark, not corky; hooked prickles scattered on trunk and branches; leaves with 3 leaflets, up to 7 in (18 cm) long, petiole and midrib prickly. The tree is leafless for up to 4 or 5 months of the year. The lovely scarlet red flowers are borne in dense racemes in spring before leaves and attract numerous birds and insects to the garden. It is hardy to USDA Zone 9b
Uses
Erythrina lysistemon is a very decorative tree but it is also an important component of the ecosystem, providing food and shelter for a variety of birds, animals and insects.
Coral trees are also widely used and enjoyed by mankind. They have been regarded as royal trees, and were planted on the graves of Zulu chiefs.
The flowering of the trees has been, and still is, a good signal to the people that it is time to plant their crops.
The seeds are used as lucky charms. They also contain toxic alkaloids as well as anti-blood-clotting substances that may be of value in the treatment of thrombosis.[1]
References
- ↑ According to Braam van Wyk and Piet van Wyk, who are indigenous tree specialists
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