Erythrina crista-galli Linn.

Erythrina crista-galli Linn.

FAMILY: FABACEAE
Vernacular Name:- Cockspur Coral Tree, Cockscomb Tree.
Morphological characters:
Habit:- An armed shrub 3m. tall.
Leaves:- Alternate, 3-Foliolate, entire, fine in texture; petioles 15 cm. long, armed; pulvinus thickened.
Leaflets:- 3, Apex acuminate, glabrous; middle leaflets rhomboid, 13-16 by 10-12 cm.; lateral ones oblong-lanceolate, oblique, 10-13 by 5-6 cm. long.
Stipels:- Glanduliform.
Inflorescence:- In large, terminal or sometime axillary racemes 10 cm. across. Flowers:- Bracteate, complete, bisexuals, zygomorphic, pentamerous, hypogynous or perigynous.
Pedicels:-7 mm. long.
Bract:- Minute ,coducous.
Calyx:- Truncate, oblique, 1.5 cm. long, with an adaxial mucro, brown-tomentose outside.
Corolla:- 5, polypetalous 6 cm. long; Crimson to red; standard broad, 6.5 by 2.5 cm., open and erect at anthesis, wings 2.2 by 0.5 cm.; keel rounded, 2.5 by 1 cm.
Androecium:- Stamens 10, diadelphous; filaments purplish, the basal connate portion 3 cm. long, free portion 2.5-3 cm. long; anthers basifixed, 2-celled, dehiscing longitudinally.
Gynoecium:- Monocarpellary, superior, unilocular ovary, with marginal placentation, ovary 1, pubescent outside, 3.5 cm. long; style singal, slightly curved and glabrous; stigma glandular, obscurely 3-lobed.
Flowering:- Nov-march..