Leguminosae-pap Erythrina poeppigiana (Walp.) Cook

| |	© W.D. Hawthorne

Keywords in this picture :

• Flower
• Flower & fruit
• Plant parts

Places where this species can be found :

• Annandale Falls - GRENADA
• Mount Qua Qua - GRENADA
• Bylands - GRENADA

Species information

Description
Large deciduous tree, conspicuous in landscape across; Grenada when flowering, when a mass of orange flowers; Leaflets broadly ovate, up to 20cm long; stalk cup-like glands on rachis. Largest Petal curled back in open flower, bright orange. Pods papery, up to 25cm, not constricted between seeds; Seeds dark brown.

Interest
Names after E.F. Poepigg, a 19th Century Gernan botanist and explorer. Originally from Tropical America. Commonly used as a shade tree in coffee or cocoa plantations around the tropics. The leaves are a good green manure, and can be fed to cattle and goats, but cause the hairs to fall out of pigs. In Columbia the flowers are eaten in salads and soup; however some plant parts contain muscle relaxants alkaloides similar to curare (Hanum & Maesen, 1997).

Specimen information

Collector
W.D. Hawthorne, D.Jules, S.Filbert, I. Mawuto

Specimen Number
1341

Location
Just after river/junction with main St.Georges rd. In Cocoa growing area.

Notes
Common tree, conspicuously flowering with orange flowers. No obvious prickles on main bole.

Coordinates
Latitude: 12.080000 N   Longitude: 0.0 E   Altitude: 200