Tecoma fulva - Cahuato

Cahuato is an erect shrub with rich purplish branches. Oppositely arranged leaves are oblong in outline, compound with about 12 leaflets. The leaflets are stalkless, wedge-shaped with toothed margin. The main backbone of the leaf is winged. Younger leaves are slightly hairy. Reddish- yellow flowers are borne in racemes at the end of branches, or on small axillary branches which arise from upper leaf axils. The species name fulva stands for reddish yellow or deep yellow. The inflorescence is thus a large leafy cyme. Flower stalks are downy. Sepal cup is obovate, osbcurely angles, cut into five, rather deep, traingular, long pointed teeth. Flowers are 2 inches long, reddish yellow on the outside, and yellow on the inside. Flowers are funnel-shaped, slightly curved. There are 5 nearly equal rounded petals. Stamens are 4, and stay inside the flower. Style is long, visible at the mouth of the flower. Cahuato is native to South America, and is an interesting garden plant.