| Binomial |
Erythrina variegata L. |
| Family |
Fabaceae |
| Tamil Name |
கல்யாண முருங்கை (Kalyana murungai) |
| Habit |
Deciduous tree with an erect, stout, thorny stem |
| Bark |
Yellowish or greenish-grey, smooth, peeling off in papery flakes with prickles |
| Flowers |
Bisexual, bright red, in dense racemes |
| Fruits |
Pods, indehiscent cylindrical |
| Flowering Period |
March – April |
| Pollinators |
Perching birds (passerines) and humming birds |
| Native to India |
Erythrina indica is one of the most colourful indigenous trees of Peninsular India. Erythrina comes from the Greek word erythros, which means ‘red’, in allusion to the colour of the bloom and indica refers to its native, India. The Indian coral tree finds a mention in the "Mahabharata". Wood is used to make small boats. Leaves are edible and cooked to make curries; petals are used to derive a red dye. In Indian traditional medicine, it is used to treat joint pain and parasitic infections. Coral trees make good windbreak and shade tree in commercial plantations in hedgerow intercropping systems. |
| Location on campus: |
https://maps.app.goo.gl/QRzSaVyR5F1tJBzd6 |
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