Peltophorum pterocarpum (commonly known as copperpod, yellow-flamboyant, yellow flametree, yellow poinciana or yellow-flame)[2] is a species of Peltophorum, native to tropical southeastern Asia and a popular ornamental tree grown around the world.
Description
Depiction of browned Yellow flame tree leavesFlower, buds, leaves, fruit and squirrel in Kolkata, India where it is known by the name radhachura in contrast with the reddish krishnachura or Delonix regia
It is a deciduoustree growing to 15–25 m (rarely up to 50 m) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 1 m belonging to Family Leguminosae and sub-family Caesalpiniaceaea. The leaves are bipinnate, 30–60 cm long, with 16–20 pinnae, each pinna with 20–40 oval leaflets 8–25 mm long and 4–10 mm broad. The flowers are yellow, 2.5–4 cm in diameter and produced in large compound raceme up to 20 cm long. Pollens are approximately 50 microns in size.
Pollens of Peltophorum pterocarpumPollens of Peltophorum pterocarpumcloseup view of Yellow flamboyant flowers.Note that here the raceme is defective and short
The fruit is a pod 5–10 cm long and 2.5 cm broad, red at first, ripening black, and containing one to four seeds. Trees begin to flower after about four years.[3][4]
budding leaves which are intensely brown at the beginning, but rapidly change colour during growthflower buds
Distribution
The Kalayaan Tree (Tree of Freedom or siar tree, Peltophorum pterocarpum, located near the front of the Malolos Cathedral).[5]
The tree is widely grown in tropical regions as an ornamental tree, particularly in India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Florida and Hawaii in the United States. Used as decorating flower in Telangana State's Batukamma festival. The trees have been planted alternately in India as a common scheme for avenue trees in India alternately with Delonix regia (Poinciana) to give a striking yellow and red effect in summer, as has been done on Hughes road in Mumbai.[6]
The wood has a wide variety of uses, including cabinet-making[7] and the foliage is used as a fodder crop.[3] The brownish colour called sogan typical of batik cloth from inland Java in Indonesia is produced from P. pterocarpum, which is known there as soga.[8]
