Erythrina crista-galli

Disposition of leaves

Detail of the flower

Fruits

Vain and seeds

Seibo flowers.

Ceibo tree in Jujuy, Argentina

Ceybo flowers in San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina

Erythrina crista-galli, the seibo or ceibo is a tree of the Fabaceae family native to South America.

It has been the national flower of Argentina since 1942, and in 2008 November 22 was declared "National Ceibo Day". It is also the national flower of Uruguay.

Description

It is a medium-sized tree that can reach between 5 and 8 m in height, rarely reaching 20 m. and with a trunk diameter of more than 50 cm. Its root is pivoting, with knots produced by nitrifying bacteria that live in symbiosis, facilitating the absorption of nitrogen that they fix and from which they take the organic substances that it produces.

The trunk is tortuous and irregular, with thorny branches that grow disorderly and die after flowering. The leaves are deciduous, composed of three oblong-lanceolate blades with a leathery texture.

The red flowers arise in clustered inflorescences, with five bilaterally symmetrical petals.

The calyx is gamosepalous, like a small red thimble. It forms a perianth with the corolla where sepals and petals are similar in color, but different in shape. Its edge is characterized by the brown color that gives it a withered appearance.

The corolla, similar to that of Phaseolus vulgaris, is butterfly-shaped, but it differs from the latter in that the banner, which is the largest petal, is located in the lower part. The two petals called wings are very small and hide inside the calyx. The other two are sometimes partially welded together and form the keel, serving as protection for the reproductive organs.

The androecium consists of 10 stamens, one free and nine joined by their filaments (gamostemonous androecium). The unicarpelar gynoecium is located between the welded stamens.

The fruit is a small brown and dry legume, monocarpic, a few centimeters long. The seeds, brown in color, are cylindrical and are spaced inside the pod.

The embryo has hypogeal cotyledons (when they germinate they remain underground).

Distribution and habitat

It is distributed in northeastern and central eastern Argentina, eastern Bolivia, southern Brazil, much of Paraguay, and almost all of Uruguay.

It inhabits low flooded places, and along the watercourses of the Chaco and the Eastern Region. It does not inhabit the high forest nor the dry places without floods. It tolerates very well soils saturated with water; the seeds are carried by water and germinate in places such as sandbanks, where they help stabilize the land and form new islands. It is very common in the pre-delta and delta of the Paraná river.

Toxicity

The aerial parts of the species of the genus Erythrina may contain alkaloids, such as erythralin and erysodine, the ingestion of which may pose a health risk.

Uses

It has tinctorial and medicinal applications: its bark is used to treat rheumatism wounds and serves as a diuretic antispasmodic; with its resin intestinal diseases can be cured; its leaves contain camphor coma that helps wound healing and has anti-inflammatory properties for tumors.

• 

  Ceibo in the Argentine city of Mar del Plata
  It has weak and porous wood, not durable; it is used in sizes and moulds. Specific weight of 0.2 g/cm3.
• It is suitable for cellulose pulp production.
• It's melfer.
• It is cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries for ornamental use.
• In Argentina the limelight pump helmet is made preferably of seibo.

Taxonomy

Erythrina crista-galli was described by Carlos Linnaeus and published in Mantissa Plantarum 1: 99–100. 1767

Etymology

Erythrina: generic name that comes from the Greek ερυθρος erythros = "red".

crista galli: Latin epithet meaning, "cock's comb.

Varieties

• Erythrina crista–galli var. leucochlora Lombard of characteristics similar to the type species, but with white flowers.
• Erythrina crista-galli var. hasskarlii Backer
• Erythrina crista-galli var. crista-galli
• Erythrina crista-galli var. longiflora

Common names

In different regions it is known as coral tree, bucaré, ceibo, suiñandi or suinandíseibo, ,cachimbo, anahí, coral flower, gallito, pico de gallo, French pine nut from Cuba, sananduva and corticeira (in Brazil).

References and notes