Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

LEGUME FAMILY (LEGUMINOSAE)
CASSIA SUBFAMILY (CAESALPINIOIDEAE; CAESALPINTACEAE)
75. Flamboyhn, flamboyant-tree Delonix regia (Bo jer) Raf.*
Flambo bn, the widely spreading tree which hang down and remain attached most of the year,
for~ns arc i es of shade along Puerto Rico's high- even when the trees are leafless.
ways ancl which is covered with brilliant mnsses of The sapwood is light yellow, and the heartwood
large orange-red flowers mostly from May to July
brown to 11ght brown. The \rood is
or August, is known to all, visitors and residents
gravity 0.8), coarse-grained,
alike. Even when the flame-colored blossoms are
and very susceptible to attack by
absent, the feathery foliawe and the g~nnt, flat, dry-\rood termites. The large pods as well as the
blackish or dark brown resembling ~nachetes \rood are used for fuel.
tnnke identification easy.
Widely planted along highways and streets and
This snlall to medium-sized deciduous tree be- in parks and wardens of both moist and dry areas
comes 20-50 feet high and 2 feet in trunk diam- almost throu&out Puerto Rico for the spectacular
eter, lar e trunks buttressed arid a~lgled towtlrd flowers and for the shade of the broad branches.
base. T f le gmy-brown bark is smoothish, some- Along highn~~ys the trees often are heavily pruned
times slightly cracked, and with many dots (lenti- except for the leaning side forming the arch. Also
cels). Inner ba+ is light brown and tasteless. a live fencepost. Sometimes escaping from culti-
Long, nearly hor~zontal branches form a broad vation and kco~ning naturalized. Also in Mona,
flat-topped crown of thin foliage wider than the St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Tortola.
tree's height. The stout twigs are reenish and Pro agated easily from seed and of rapid
finely hairy when young, becoming F ~rown. growt R . Since the wood is weak, trees are often
The alternate leaves are 8-20 inches long and broken by strong winds. After the leaves are shed,
twice pinntlte (bipinnate) . Along the light reen, the trees are less attractive with their conspicuous
slightly haily axis are 10-25 pnirs of s P encler pods remaining on the bare branches and with the
feathery branches (pinnae) 2-5 inches long, mch prominent tunnels and nests of the termites which
bearing 1240 pairs of very small oblong leaflets commonly attack this species. A caterpillar, or de-
.?/,,-3/g inch long and l/s inch wide. The nunlerous foliating insect, occasionally attacks the trees and
leaflets nre stalkless, rounded at base and apex, elimiantes the leaves completely. Another objecnot
toothed, thin, very minutely hairy on both tionable feature is the surface mot system which
sides, green on upper surface and paler beneath. sometimes bmlcs sidewalks and walls. Because
Several flower clusters (r,zcemes) 6-10 ~nches of these undesirable chamcteristics some authori-
Ion are borne laterally near the end of a twig, ties classify flamboyitn among the trees which
eacl f with loosely arranged, slightly fragrant should not be planted.
flom-en. The flowers are 4-5 inches across, on RANGE.-Native of Madagascar. One of the
slender stnlks 2-3 inches long. Calyx consists of most extensively planted ornamental trees in tropi-
5 pointed, finely hairy sepals tibout 1 inch long, cal and subtropical regions throughout the world
(*reen outside and reddish with yellow border with- and locally escaping or naturalized. Southern
:I; 5 unequal petals 2-2% inches long and %-I% Florida including Florida Keys, southern Caliinches
wide, with a very long, slender, hairy stalk, fornia (planted), Bermuda, and tl~mughout West
broadly spoon-sllnped, rounded but broader than Indies. Also from Mexico to Brzil.
long, sliglltly wavy-margined or crisp, widely ex- OTHER ~MJLON NAMES.-flamboyin rojo, fl,mtencled
and bending back~vards before falling; 4 boydn colorado (Puerto Rico) ; flamboyant, giant,
petals are orange red or alnlost scarlet, while 1 giant-tree (Virgin Islands) ; flamboyin (Domini-
\vhich is longer and narrower tllnn the othe~s is can Republic, Colombia, Venezuela) ; fmmboyiin,
11-hitish inside wit11 red spots and streaks; the 10 flamboyant (Cuba) ; Arb01 de fuego, tabuchin
stamens about 1% inches long are slender and 14, ; Arb01 del fuego, flor de fuego (Central
hairy toward btlse; and tlle pistil has n haiiy
!!!%i~] ; acacia, fmmboyhn, gl~acamayo (Guate-
1-
mala) ; guacamaya, poinciana (Honduras) ; guacelled
ovary about, l/z inch long and slender style cttmaya (El Salvador) ; cla~ellino, flor de pavo
;~l)out 1% inches long.
(Colombia) ; flamboyant, josefina (Venezuela) ;
The pods tire hard, 14-20 inches long, Z2% flnmboyant-tree (British Gniana) ; flamboyant,
inches wide, ttnd inch thick, finally splitting into royal poinciana, flame-tree (United States, Eng-
2 parts. There are many oblong mottled brown lish) ; flamboyttnt (French) ; flamboyant, Julyseeds
:tbout. yl iiicll lorig ttnd I/q inch broad, tree (1)utch 7ITest Indies) ; fln~nboyant (Brazil).
itbout 000 to tlle pound. The conspicuous pods I~OTANICAL s~-~o~~~.-Poincbna ?*egia Bojer.