Erythrina fusca

Erythrina fusca is a species of flowering tree in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is known by many common names, including purple coraltree, gallito, bois immortelle, bucayo, and the more ambiguous "bucare" and "coral bean". E. fusca has the widest distribution of any Erythrina species; it is the only one found in both the New and Old World. It grows on coasts and along rivers in tropical Asia, Oceania, the Mascarene Islands, Madagascar, Africa, and the Neotropics. The easy-to-grow and attractive flowering tree is cultivated as an ornamental shade and hedge plant. It is a common shade tree in cacao plantations. It attracts hummingbirds, which pollinate its flowers. E. fusca is the official flower of the Venezuelan state of Trujillo.

Description

An evergreen tree. It grows to 5-26 m high and spreads to 3 m across. Trees can lose their leaves. The stem is erect and sturdy and has prickles along it. The trunk branches and forks and can be crooked. It can have buttresses. The bark is grey or green and is cracked and flaky. The leaves have 3 leaflets. They are yellowish green on top and with a bluish green bloom underneath. They are thick and oval and 2.5-15 cm long by 1.4-15 cm wide. The leaf stalks are 1-19 cm long have prickles. The flowers are pea shaped and scarlet. They occur in large branching sprays at the ends of branches. This flower spray stalk is 8-13 cm long with flower stalks 3-13 cm long. The flower standard is bright orange-red. It is 4-7 cm long and 4-6 cm wide. The fruit are pods which have stalks. The pods are 14-33 cm long and 1.4-1.8 cm wide. There are 6-12 seeds in a pod. The pod is slightly constricted between the seeds. They are densely velvety. The seeds are dark brown and oblong. They are 1.2-1.8 cm long by 5-8 mm wide.

Edible Uses

Young leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked as a vegetable. Flowers are also cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

Traditional Uses

The young leaves and shoots are eaten raw in salads, or cooked in stews and other dishes. They are also used for making tea.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

An infusion of the bark is used to treat liver ailments and to induce sleep. The bark is applied as a poultice on fresh wounds. The stem bark and root bark are combined with the stem bark of Parkia pendula to make a cataplasm applied to the head for violent and persistent headaches. Bark or root decoctions are used in the treatment of beriberi. The root is antirheumatic, sudorific, and purgative in large doses. A decoction is used to treat feverish conditions such as malaria and flu. The flowers are antitussive; a decoction is used to soothe coughs. The seed contains the anaesthetic alkaloid erythroidine.

Known Hazards

Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the seed, bark and stems of plants in this genus usually contain alkaloids that are toxic in all but small amounts.

Distribution

It is a tropical tree. It prefers rich, moist, well drained soils. It suits a protected sunny position. It is damaged by drought and frost. It grows in tropical lowland swamp forest. Often it is along the edges of rivers. In Papua New Guinea it occurs between 30-135 m and 1600-2000 m altitude.

Where It Grows

Africa, American Samoa, Asia, Australia, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Central America, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Fiji, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Jamaica, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pacific, Panama, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Peru, Philippines, Pohnpei, Puerto Rico, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, South America, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies,

Cultivation

A tropical tree. Succeeds at low to moderate elevations in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate areas. It can be grown at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 16 - 24°c, but can tolerate 12 - 32°c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,200 - 3,000mm, but tolerates 1,000 - 3,500mm. It seems to prefer littoral locations with badly drained soils, like swamps and stream banks and upland riverine marshes. In an experiment, it has shown better performance on acid soils of pH 4.3 and aluminium saturation of 80%. Prefers a pH in the range 4.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4 - 7. Established plants are very drought tolerant. Frequently hybridizes with other Erythrina species. The seeds float in water and at times have been dispersed by ocean currents. Established trees stand regular pruning very well. They start sprouting rapidly and develop strong shoots. The tree is managed under a moderate regime of pruning if it is grown as a shade tree for cocoa. The trees are partially pollarded once every 1 - 2 years, leaving a few branches per tree to regulate light influx to the crop. A 6 month pollarding cycle is used for trees supporting black pepper vines. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.

Propagation

Fresh seeds and those harvested within 3–6 months of maturity can be sown without pre-treatment, and germination rates are generally high, often reaching 100%. Seeds older than 6 months may take 12–18 months to germinate due to a hardening seed coat. Soaking in hot water or scarifying the seed coat can reduce this time considerably. Seeds can be placed in water that has just fallen below boiling point and left to soak for a minimum of one hour — up to 12 hours for seed 3 or more years old — before sowing. Alternatively, a groove can be carefully filed through the sides of the seed coat using a slender triangular file, taking care not to damage the cotyledons or embryo, which can result in death from fungal attack or in weakened, malformed seedlings. Healthy seeds germinate well in almost any well-drained soil with minimal damping-off problems. When used as a shade or nurse tree, propagation is typically by large cuttings about 2 metres long and 6–10 cm in diameter; rooting success is excellent provided soil moisture is close to field capacity.

Other Uses

The tree is often planted as a shade tree in cocoa and coffee plantations in Central America and, less commonly, in Southeast Asia. It is a pioneer species that germinates in open land and helps create habitat suitable for forest trees. Its use as a nurse tree in tropical reforestation projects has been explored. Cocoa trees growing near this species have been observed to produce more pods than those farther away, attributed to increased litter fall that raises available nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil. It is occasionally used in live fences and as a support for black pepper vines and vanilla plants, and is also planted as a hedge. In areas where rainfall is irregular and sometimes below 1,000 mm per year, the species has been noted to persist through prolonged drought without losing its leaves, recirculating nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from prunings, making it a promising candidate for agroforestry with maize and cassava. The heartwood is light yellow to yellowish brown, light in weight, moderately soft, weak, not durable, and scarcely suitable for lumber; it is used for making canoes and for carving. Dry branches are occasionally used as firewood, though they are said to burn poorly and produce considerable ash.

Other Information

It is cultivated.

Notes

There are 108 Erythrina species.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Acacu, Acuarana, Bucayo, Changkering, Coral-bean, Eritrina-da-baixa, Gatae apalgi, Kane, Kathit, Kn-kathit, Palo prieto, Pizamo tree, Rase, Sanandu, Suina, Swamp immortelle, Tawng lang nam, Thong lang, Thong long, Vong

References (35)

• Barwick, M., 2004, Tropical and Subtropical Trees. A Worldwide Encyclopedic Guide. Thames and Hudson p 168
• Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 402
• Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 2. Kew.
• Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 1 (A-H) p 961
• Condit, R., et al, 2011, Trees of Panama and Costa Rica. Princeton Field Guides. p 220

More from Fabaceae

Melilotus suaveolens

Sweetclover

Melilotus wolgicus

Sweetclover

Mezoneuron benthamianum

Tiger's claw

Millettia barteri

Millettia brandisiana

Eagle wood

Millettia dielsiana