Erythrina abyssinica - Meet the Plants - National Tropical Botanical Garden Plant Database

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Taxonomy:

Erythrina abyssinica A.P. de Candolle (Fabaceae)

Common Names: Red-Hot Poker Tree
Kingdom: Plantae-Plants

Subkingdom: Tracheobionta-Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta-Seed plants
Division; Magnoliophyta-Flowering plants
Class: Dicotyledons
Subclass: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Erythrina
Species: abyssinica

Description:

This tree grows up to 40 m. and has very corky and furrowed bark. The branches have spines. The leaflets are diamond shaped, and hairy getting up to 15 cm long.

The red hot poker tree has gorgeous bright red flowers which hand down in a raceme. The tree produces curved woody pods, 10-15 cm. long with 5-8 scarlet colored seeds inside.
(Staples, G. W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai`i.)

Geographic Distribution:

Geographic Distribution: This tree is native to tropical Africa, where it is fairly common in the wild.

(Staples, G. W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai`i.)

Dangerous/Poisonous:

Many seeds in this genus contain toxic alkaloids and are used to create poisons. Although there are no documented cases of human poisonings be carefull.

(Staples, G. W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai`i.)

Medicinal Uses:**

The bark of young stems is used to treat trachoma. It is also roasted and applied to burns and swellings. Powdered root is used for syphilis, anthrax, and snakebites

(Rulangaranga, Z.K. Some Important Indigenous Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in the Wild Flora of Tanzania Mainland. Tropical Forestry Action Plan, Working Paper 24. Tanzania Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Tourism, Dar es Saalam. 1989).

** The information provided above is not intended to be used as a guide for treatment of medical conditions using plants.

Species Interconnections and Interdependencies:

Erythrina flowers are pollinated by several species of birds. Most of the American species have flowers that open away from the flower stalk, so that hovering hummingbirds can feed on their nectar.

Species that are native to areas without hummingbirds have flowers oriented the other direction so that birds can perch on the stalk while feeding.
(Staples, G. W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai`i.)

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