BOOK-1

COMMON TREES
Dr. H. Santapau
THE INDIAN CORAL TREE
ERYTHRINA INDICA Lamk.
(Family: Papilionaceae)

English—The Indian Coral Tree;

Hindi—Pangli;
Bombay Pangara ;
Malayalam—Mandaram ;
Tamil—Maruka

After the flowers comes the leaves, which make this a valuable shade tree; leaves
persist on the tree until winter.It conies into flower’ at the beginning of March, and
may retain its coral red spikes through April and May.THE INDIAN Coral Tree is one of
the most colourful indigenous trees of peninsular India, particularly in the coastal
areas.

POPULAR LORE
Among Hindus, the tree is supposed to flower in Indra’s garden; the leaf with its
three leaflets is said to represent the HinduTrimurti, the middle leaflet representing
Vishnu, the right one Brahma, the left leaflet Shiva. The leaf was popular with the
earlyChristians in India as representing the Trinity, much as the Shamrock of Ireland
did with the disciples of St. Patrick. Among the Portuguese the leaves of Pangara
were known under the name of ‘Folhas da Trindade’.

DESCRIPTION

A small to fair-sized tree, reaching under good soil conditions up to 15m. or more In
height; the branches are armed with very sharp prickles, at least when young.
Leaves are rather large, consisting of a long stalk and three leaflets; the leaflets are
broadly egg-shaped, often as broad as they are long, more or less acute at the apex,
rounded or nearly so at the base, the terminal leaflet being much larger than the two
side ones. Flowers come out when the tree is completely bare of leaves towards the
end ofFebruary or the beginning of March, and persist on the tree for two or more
months; they appear in spikes at the very end of the branches, often several spikes
coming out of the same branch. The colour of the flowers is generally bright red or
scarlet. The calyx is also red, and forms a sort of sheath round the corolla ; when the
flowers opens out, the calyx splits the whole way down to the base. The petals are
five in number, but the ‘standard’ is by fair the largest. Stamens are ten in number,
and protrude a long way out of the corolla; their colour is about the same as that of
the corolla. The pods are stout, at first green, at length deep brown or almost black,
tapering at the apex and base and bulging out round the seeds; these are up to 12 in
number in each pod,oblong and smooth. The fruit may remain on the parent tree for
nearly as long as the leaves.

CULTIVATION
This is one of the easiest trees to grow either from seed or through vegetative
propagation. The common practice is to select some good ‘sticks’ or ‘poles’ say 1—
1.5 m. long, up to 10 cm. thick and to plant such ‘sticks’ just before the monsoon. In
planting care should be taken to see that what originally was the lower part is put ia
the soil and what was upper part is left in the air; most plants are very sensitive to
what technically is called their ‘polarity’ ; sap in trees goes in one direction, from
below upwards ; cuttings should always be planted in such a way that this polarity is
respected. Very soon after the beginning of the rains leaves will come out at the
upper end and roots at the lower end of the ‘sticks’. On occasion I have noted a
fence of barbed wire built round a field, the poles supporting the wires being from
Erythrina. In the dry season that was just a plain fence; but as soon as the rains of
the monsoon came down, most of the poles took root and burst into masses of
leaves; thus a beautiful living fence was built. Even when the barbed wires rust and
break away, the fence remains in a good condition; the prickles on the stems and
branches serve as a sufficiently good protection against intruders. Cultivation
through seeds in many cases is better; but naturally it is much slower, that is to say,
it takes at least one to two years before the seedlings reach the sizes attained by
using cuttings from the beginning. Erythrina is often planted as a wind-break
especially in places much exposed to strong winds. In some parts of India it is
cultivated as a support for various climbing plants such as the betel leaf, grapevines,
pumpkins, jasmines or climbing roses. Erythrina being a leguminous tree, its roots
enrich the soil with plenty of nitrogen; for this reason tea planters and others use the
tree in their fields to improve the growth and yield of their plants. The name,
Erythrina, has been coined from the Greek, Erythros or Erythrinos, meaning red or
coral red. The specific name,indica, meaning ‘Indian’ refers to the country of origin of
the plant.
 BOOK-2

FLOWERING TREES & SHRUBS IN INDIA

by D.V. Cowen

CORAL TREE
ERYTHRINA INDICA,
Syn. E. variegate

Fam. Leguminosae. Sub fam. Papilionacece. Mandara, panjira, dholdhak,

pangri, pharad, dadap (Hind.);
Haluvana (Can.); Kalyana murungai, maruka, mulu murungu (Tam.); Palita
mundar, rakta madar (Beng.);
Mandaram, murikku, nimbataru (Mal.); Katueramadu, erabadu (Sinh.); Dedap
(Malay).
THE Coral Tree shown here is one of several varieties of Erythrina, more than one of
which are referred to as the Coral Tree; but this is the tree so familiar to us from
January to March when the thick, angular spikes of rich, red blooms make their
striking appearance amongst the naked branches. It is one of India’s own trees,
growing wild along the coasts and in some inland districts of deciduous forests, but
elsewhere it has escaped from widespread cultivation and grows selfsown.
It is a large tree, elegant in form and handsome throughout the year, even during its
leafless period. In some parts of India this Erythrina never grows more than 7.5 m.
but elsewhere 18 m. is often attained and because it flowers when only 3 or 4 m.
high it is deservedly popular as a garden or park plant.
The Silk Cotton Tree (Bombax malabarica) blooms at the same time as the Coral
Tree and usually in the same localities and the two are often confused by casual
observers. However, a few points of difference serve to distinguish the two without
much difficulty. Both bear red flowers on bare branches but those of the Coral are a
deeper colour and in stemmed, diminishing spikes, as against the large bright red or
pinkish blooms of the Silk Cotton which grow solitary, directly from the branchlets.
Both trees are armed with conical prickles on trunk and branches but the bark of the
Coral is smooth and curiously streaked with vertical lines of green, buff, grey and
white. The last and most important point of distinction is in the branch formation; the
branches of the Coral rise obliquely from the trunk while those of the Silk Cotton
grow in whorls and are almost at right angles to the main stem. With these few points
in mind it should be possible to differentiate between the two trees at any distance
.
The branchlets of the Coral Tree are grey, gnarled and rugged, but the flower stems
which radiate from their ends are, in contrast, glossily smooth and a deep red in
colour. The numerous whorls of flowers and buds encircle a good 22 or 25 cm. of the
stem, and are of an unusual formation. A brownish sheath enfolds the unopened
flower allowing the points of two of its five segments to extend like comical “ears”;
the sheath then splits down the back and the five red petals emerge. One is an erect
“standard”, oblong and pointed and narrowing at the base; two are small “wings” and
the remaining two are similar in size but a deep crimson in colour and known as
“keel” petals. These four small petals are partially enfolded by the base of the
“standard”. A long bunch of red stamens protrudes from between the “keels”. The
flowers have no scent, but that makes them no less popular among birds. A Coral
Tree in full bloom is always like an aviary. Crows, mynahs, rosypastors, babblers
and parakeets, as well as numerous bees and wasps swarm round the tree in noisy
eagerness. By their love of the nectar the flowers become fertilised. Very soon after
flowering the big pods begin to form. They are green at first, later turning black; their
15 to 30 cm. of length may contain up to a dozen smooth, brown, red or purple egg-
shaped seeds. Between each seed the pod is constricted and the whole is curved
and pointed. Some.- Coral Trees, particularly young ones, do not lose all their leaves
before flowering; others attain a new leaf growth whilst the tree is still in flower. The
leaves are large and composed of three broad leaflets, each on a short stem, the
end one being the largest. The country people of India have turned to their own
account Nature’s forethought in arming this tree against the depredations of cattle
and other animals and plant it as a hedge around cultivated gardens. Cuttings stuck
in the ground where they are to remain root quickly, so a hedge can be very easily
grown. It is also widely used as a support of peppers and grape vines, its
qualifications for this position being in it.s quick growth and suitable bark. More
important ‘is the fact that, during the hottest months, the crowded foliage gives deep
shade to the vines and keeps them moist; when the days become cool all the leaves
fall and the vines receive the sun they need. New leaves are eaten in curries and
mature leaves make good cattle fodder. The wood is light and soft but quite durable
and neither splits nor warps so is useful for purposes where heavy woods would be
unsuitable, such as small, carved articles. A reu dye can be obtained from the
flowers. The Coral Tree comes into Indian legends and it is supposed to have been
grown in Indra’s garden, from where Krishna stole the flowers. Then Rukhmini and
Satyabhama quarrelled for the There are a large number of species of Erythrina
most of them remarkable for their brilliant red flowers, borne during the leafless
period of the tree. The common species on the Ghats is E. stricta, which is very
similar to E. variegata but for small differences in the calyx. In the hills of South India
E. subumbrans, Syn. E. lithosperma, known as Dadap is widely used as a shade
tree on tea estates. It is thornless, almost evergreen and a very rapid grower, 15 m.
and the large quantity of foliage it produces are used toi mulching and green-
manuring. The leaves are similar to those of E. variegata, being composed of three
broad leaflets on a long stem, but the flowers appearing with the foliage, in red,
scarlet or orange, are smaller and less showy and the buds, although also in whorls,
protrude from the stem at various angles. Buds from different whorls mav open at the
same time and the two-lipped calyces are velvety in texture. The 10 to 12 cm. fruits
are sterile in the lower part but carry two black seeds in the upper part It r also found
in Java and the Philippines. The name Erythros, meaning “red”, refers to tricolour of
the blooms. Of Erythrina variegata there are also several varieties including a white
one - actually the flowers are a dirty, translucent white and not at all attractive but the
“standard”, wing and keel” formation of the flowers of all the species makes
identification reasonably easy.
 BOOK-3

Nature Guides
COMMON TREES OF INDIA
PIPPA MUKHERJEE
(First published 1983)

INDIAN CORAL TREE

Leguminosae Erythrina indica or variegata
Called Mandara in Hindi, Dadap in Bengali, Mandaram in Malayalam, Kaliyana
Murrukku in Tamil. Its Marathi name is Pangara.

WHERE IT GROWS: This Indian tree is common in coastal forests, and also lives
wild in Burma, the Andaman, Java and Polynesia. It grows well close to the sea.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: It is a very fast-growing, hardy, deciduous tree of

medium height with smooth grey-green bark which peels in patches. The trunk and
branches are covered with sharp thorns (these disappear as the tree gets older).
They are obviously there to protect the young tree from birds and animals. The roots
are shallow and the wood is brittle and easily broken.

LEAVES: The leaves are made up of three large triangular shaped leaflets, the
centre one being the largest. They are bright green in colour, and fall in the winter,
leaving the tree leafless until March or April. Young trees often keep their leaves
throughout the year.

FLOWERS: These appear from early January and often continue up to March or
April. The bright scarlet flowers grow on spikes either alone or with others at the end
of the smaller branches. Each spike has many blooms on it. The flowers have five
petals, one of which is much larger than the others. The tree is very beautiful in the
spring when it flowers. It is often planted with trees of the same family that have
white or pink flowers, so that the two together make a contrast of colours.

FRUIT: The seed cases clearly mark the kidney-shaped brown, red, or purple seeds
inside them. The seed pods remain on the tree throughout the year, quickly turning
black. They ripen from May to July.

USES: The soft wood is used for making small boats and carving ornaments. The
new leaves are made into curries. A red dye is obtained by boiling the petals. The
tree is often used to provide shade for crops or for supporting grape creepers and
pepper plants. It is popular in coastal cities for growing on the sides of roads. It is
also grown as a hedge around gardens. The planting of these trees help to nourish
poor soil as the roots contain Bacteria which can take in nitrogen from the air. The
nitrogen is then used to enrich the soil. Although the flowers have no scent many
birds and insects love the nectar and are attracted by the bright colours of the
flowers. The leaves are useful for feeding cattle. The seeds are poisonous. The
Coral tree is mentioned in the Mahabharata.
 Indian Coral SWAPBOOBUYGBINMOPK-4BOOangra/M

andaBOOK-4
The Calendar
of Nature
PROJECT HANDBOOK

INDIAN CORAL TREE

Scientific name: Erythrina indica

A beautiful ornamental tree that is planted in gardens and parks, the flowers of this
tree are bright red and striking. A variety of birds are visitors to the coral tree when it
is in flower.
Rosy starlings, babblers, drongos, tailor birds, bulbuls, sunbirds – all of them like to
sip the sweet nectar from the flowers. When you look at this tree the next time
perhaps you can notice who is visiting in your neighbourhood.

Leaf
3 broad leaflets, with pointed tips and the central one on a very long stalk. Leaves
shed in February and the tree is bare till after the flowers in April.

Flower
Brilliant red, 4-5 cm long in dense clusters. 5 unequal petals with the central petal
nearly 3 cm long. Flowering in late March or early April.

Fruit
Up to 30 cm long, cylindrical, black when ripe. Fruits ripen in May-July.

Bark
Smooth, greenish-grey with vertical lines of green. A way to clearly identify this
tree is that the flowers appear when thetree is completely bare of leaves.
 BOOK- 5

100 BEAUTIFUL TREES OF INDIA

BY- CHARLS McCANN

55. INDIAN CORAL TREE or PANGARA

Erythrina indica Lam. (Order: Leguminosae).

Erythrina is derived from a Greek word meaning red in allusion to the colour
of the flowers; indica means pertaining to India.

Description: A moderate-sized deciduous tree with prickly stem and branches

reaching 50 to 60 ft. in height. Leaves compound, trifoliate: leaflets, 4 to 6 in. long
by 3 to 5 in. wide, the terminal leaflet the largest, broadly rhomboid-ovate (somewhat
broadly triangular), tip acute or acuminate, base truncate or rhomboidal; petiole 4 to
8 hi. long, with glands at the base of each leaflet. Flowers large 2 to 2.5 in. long, pea
shaped, in dense racemes 4 to 12 in. long, arranged in clusters of 1 to 4 at the ends
of the branches; peduncle thick, woody; pedicels short. Calyx somewhat tubular, 5
toothed at the mouth. Corolla, standard petal long upright, keel, wing petals about
§rd its length; stamens 10, united into a bundle, and much exceeding the keel petals
in length. Fruit a pod, 5 to 14 in. long, somewhat cylindrical or moniliform, constricted
between the seeds. Seeds 0.5 to 0.75 in. somewhat kidney-shaped.

Distribution: Coastal forests of India and Burma; the Andamans, Nicobars, Java and
Polynesia ;a. Much cultivated in India for the sake of the beauty of the flowers.

Gardening: Propagated by seeds and by cuttings. Thick branches often used as

supports take readily, thus often killing out the plant propped up. It grows best in the
drier soils.

Note: The flowers appear during February, The fruits remain on the tree till the end
of the year. The tree is said to have a beneficial influence on the soil owing to the
nitrogen-feeding bacteria contained in the tubercules on the roots. On this account
the Erythrinas are used as shade trees in cultivation.