Family: Fabaceae
Erythrina vespertilio
Citation:
Benth. in T.L. Mitchell, J. Trop. Austral. 218 (1848).
Synonymy: E. biloba F. Muell., Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 9:21 (1857); E. vespertilio Benth. var. typica Domin, Biblthca Bot. 89:775 (1926).
Common name: Bats wing coral tree, bean tree.
Description:
A large glabrous tree 5-12 m tall, with stout conical prickles on the twigs but not on the leaves; outer bark pale, wrinkled vertically; leaves 3-foliolate, on slender glabrous petioles 5-12 cm long or more; leaflets divided at the base into 2 divergent out-curved linear-oblong lobes, each 20-60 x 4-12 mm, broadly cuneate towards the base, attenuate into the petiolule; lateral leaflets smaller, on a petiolule to 1 cm long; terminal one on a petiolule 2-6 cm long, often with a triangular lobe between the others; stipules and stipels minute, truncate, glandular.
Racemes lateral, erect, 10-30 cm long, lax, showy, with many drooping flowers, caducous; flowers 25-35 mm long, on pedicels to 2 cm long and thickened at the base; calyx campanulate, to 15 mm long, obliquely truncate, entire or obscurely toothed, splitting on the upper side; standard oblong, retuse, 25-30 x 11-15 mm, coral-red, longitudinally veined; wings and keel not protruding from the calyx, obovate, red.
Pod stipitate, 5-10 x c. 1.8 cm, contracted between the seeds, curved, dehiscent, with 1 to few seeds; seed bean-like, 1-1.5 x c. 1 cm, slightly compressed, shiny, bright-red to dark-red; hilum oblong, white.
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Image source: fig. 311B in J.P. Jessop and H.R. Toelken Ed. 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).
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Published illustration:
Krukoff & Barneby (1974) Lloydia 37, 3:435; Williams (1980) Native plants of Queensland 1:111.
Distribution:
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An endemic Australian species growing in desert conditions in watercourses and on ridges.
S.Aust.: LE. W.Aust.; N.T.; Qld; N.S.W.;.
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Conservation status:
native
Flowering time: in summer.
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SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
Extraordinarily variable in the outline of the leaflets; the "typical form" has rhomboidal leaflets and an acuminate apex; the "bilobate form" has 2-lobed leaves; the "island form" leaflets are slightly broader than long (Krukoff (1977) Lloydia 40, 5:410).
Author:
Not yet available
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