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Summer scorchers
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Matching the brightness of the summer sun are some trees which bear fiery red flowers
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The gulmohar (Delonix regia) is rated as one of the top five most beautiful trees in the world.
WHILE THE sweltering heat of the summer months may sap the energy of the residents, some trees in the city seem to bask in the sunshine by displaying a riot of hues, especially bold and fiery red. At least four such trees instantly capture our attention.
Gulmohar
Often misconstrued as the Flame of the Forest, Delonix regia also known as Gulmohar or Royal Poinciana, is bare and gaunt prior to the onset of summer and suddenly bursts into glorious bloom and flamboyantly displays its brilliant blossoms over a long period in the season. A native of Madagascar, this magnificent tree, with voluminous red and orange blooms, is consistently rated as one of the top five most beautiful trees in the world. The crimson petals, five in number, are wavy and crinkled, one of them larger with its white centre splashed with scarlet. Shortly thereafter, young green pods appear and become hard and black on maturity and remain till the next flowering season. Delonix is a Greek term, delos meaning "evident" and onix meaning "claw" in allusion to the shape of the petals and the term regia in Latin means "royal". Gulmohar is a Hindi name, "Gul" meaning "flower" and "Mohar" meaning "peacock". The tree was named Royal Poinciana after Monsieur de Poiney, the first French Governor of the Antilles in the West Indies.
Delonix regia is a spectacular shade tree with a spreading canopy. Although it is locally known as Flame of the Forest owing to its fiery red blossoms, it is actually Butea frondosa, found in hill stations, that is referred to as the Flame of the Forest.'
Rose of Venezuela
A native of Central and South America, Brownea grandiceps, also known as Scarlet Flame Bean Tree or Rose of Venezuela, is a small, slow growing tree with pinnate leaves, whose reddish orange flowers hang downwards amidst the dense, drooping foliage.
African Tulip Tree
Another red flowered tree is the African tulip tree, a native of Equatorial Africa, known botanically as Spathodea campanulata. Spathodea is derived from the Greek word spathe meaning "ladle", referring to the spathe-like structure of the calyx and campanulata refers to the campanulate (bell shaped) flowers. S. campanulata, which is also known by synonyms such as Scarlet Bell Tree, Fountain Tree, Squirt Tree, Syringe Tree and African Flame Tree, is a large upright, fast growing, handsome tree with glossy, deep green pinnate leaves and a gorgeous display of bright orange scarlet flowers which are pollinated only by birds.
It is one of the world's most spectacular flowering trees and is called Tulip Tree because of the resemblance of the flowers to tulips. When the flower buds are squeezed, they squirt out a stream of water and hence, the name Squirt Tree or Fountain Tree.
In Africa and Haiti, the tree is thought to have magical properties and is used in making the wands of witch doctors.
Cordia sebestena
Cordia sebestena, indigenous to the Caribbean islands and the northern coast of South America, is a small tree with harsh, sand paper like textured leaves and clusters of brilliant flowers with a rich scarlet hue that flowers throughout the year.
Their broad deep green leaves and splendid red blossoms render their appearance delightful. Cordia was named after a German botanist of the 16th Century, Valerius Cordus, and sebestena refers to allied species grown in the town of Sebesta.
The unripe fruits are used in the treatment of breathing difficulties, dysentery, incontinence, oedema, malaria, venereal disease, spider bite, and as an appetite stimulant.
PAULINE DEBORAH & RIDLING WALLER
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