FoI
Gulmohar
Share Foto info
Gulmohar
aturalized Photo: Tabish
Common name: Flame Tree, Royal Poinciana • Hindi: Gulmohar गुलमोहर • Bengali: Krishnachura • Kannada: Kempu torai • Kannada: ಕೆಂಪುತುರಾಯಿ Kempu turai, ಕತ್ತಿಕಾಯಿಮರ Kattikaayi mara, ಸೀಮೆಸಂಕೇಶ್ವರ Seeme sankeshwara • Mizo: April-par
Botanical name: Delonix regia    Family: Caesalpiniaceae (Gulmohar family)

Discovered in the early 19th century in its native Madagascar by botanist Wensel Bojer, Gulmohar is a flamboyant tree in flower - some say the world's most colorful tree. For several weeks in spring and summer it is covered with exuberant clusters of flame-red flowers, 4-5 in across. Even up close the individual flowers are striking: they have four spoon shaped spreading scarlet or orange-red petals about 3 in long, and one upright slightly larger petal (the standard) which is marked with yellow and white. The delicate, fern-like leaves are composed of small individual leaflets, which fold up at the onset of dusk. Gulmohar gets 30-40 ft tall, but its elegant wide-spreading umbrella-like canopy can be wider than its height. Gumohar is naturalized in India and is widely cultivated as a street tree.

Identification credit: Tabish Photographed in Delhi.

• Is this flower misidentified? If yes,