Flora Zambesiaca

Taxon Detail

FZ volume:3 part:2 (2007) Leguminosae by R.K. Brummitt, A.C. Chikuni, J.M. Lock and R.M. Polhill

(Search other Kew databases for: Delonix regia)

Delonix regia (Hook.) Raf.

Fl. Tellur. 2: 92 (1836). —Baker, Legum. Trop. Afr.: 623 (1930). —Brenan, Check-list For. Trees Shrubs Tang. Terr.: 102 (1949); in F.T.E.A., Legum.-Caesalp.: 23 (1967). —Wilczek in F.C.B. 3: 248 (1952). —Torre in Mendonça, Contrib. Conhec. Fl. Moçamb. 2: 67 (1954). —Torre & Hillcoat in C.F.A. 2: 173 (1956). —Roti-Michelozzi in Webbia 13: 194 (1957). —Keay in F.W.T.A., ed.2, 1(2): 481 (1958). —White, F.F.N.R.: 122 (1962). —Ross in F.S.A. 16(2): 10 (1977). —Polhill & Thulin in Fl. Ethiopia 3: 50 (1989). Type cultivated in England, originally from Madagascar.

Synonyms:

Poinciana regia Hook.

in Bot. Mag. 56: fig.2884 (1829). —Oliver in F.T.A. 2: 266 (1871). —Harms in Engler, Pflanzenw. Afrikas 3(1): 507, fig.271 (1915).

Distribution:

Mozambique

M: Maputo (Lourenço Marques), in the avenues, fl.& fr. x.1945, Pimenta 15302 (LISC, PRE, SRGH).

T: Tete, fl. xi.1858, Kirk (K).

Zimbabwe

C: Harare, cultivated in a garden, fl. 30.xi.1969, Biegel 3221 (K).

E: Border E of Mutare (Umtali), fl. 10.xii.1913, Peter 47820 (K).

Range:

Extensively planted as an ornamental tree (the Flamboyant or Flame Tree) and possibly naturalized in places. Recorded by White (F.F.N.R., 1962) from Livingstone, Luwingu, Ndola and elsewhere. A rare native of Madagascar now widely grown in many tropical and subtropical parts of the world.

Description:

Tree 3–15(18) m high. Young stems subglabrous to thinly spreading-pubescent. Leaves: petiole and rachis together (11)14–35 cm long; pinnae 9–18(23) pairs; pinna rachis (4)6–12(15) cm long; leaflets 10–32 pairs per pinna, 4–11(17) × 2–4(5) mm, oblong, obtuse to rounded at the apex, asymmetrical at the base, finely appressed-pubescent on both surfaces or rarely subglabrous; stipules pinnately compound, the rachis up to 1.4 cm long, with 2–6 pairs of pinnae, each oblong or oblanceolate up to 9 × 3 mm. Racemes with the axis up to 12 cm excluding the peduncle, subglabrous to sparsely pubescent, each with (3)6–14 flowers; bracts up to 9 × 5 mm, ovate or elliptic, acute at the apex, usually falling shortly before anthesis; pedicels 3.5–9(10.5) cm long. Hypanthium 2–8 mm long, the narrow basal part gradually expanded above into a shallowly concave disc but the upper part not campanulate, the whole glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Sepals 1.8–3 cm long, lanceolate to oblong, glabrous to very sparsely pubescent. Petals (3.5)4.2–6.5(7.4) cm long, the lower 4 subequal but the upper one slightly longer than the others with the claw broader and less clearly defined, all scarlet red or sometimes (especially the upper one and the claws of the others) orange or ± yellow, the distal margins undulate. Stamen filaments (2.4)3.5–4.5(5) cm long, shorter than the petals. Ovary ± sessile, appressed-pubescent with longish but usually sparse hairs. Pods (20)30–70 × 3.6–5.8 cm, strongly woody at maturity, with seeds sunk in regular transverse cavities in the woody endocarp; seeds up to 50 or more, c.2.0 × 0.6 × 0.4 cm, linear-ellipsoid, not compressed, light brown mottled with darker brown.

Notes:

The specimen from Tete cited above is annotated by Kirk “This species ‘P. [Poinciana] regia’ is cultivated in the public square of Moçambique and has now been extended to Quilimane and as far as Tete it grows freely but has not spread beyond the towns and there only where planted, the pod is 6–8 inches long, thick hard and black”.