Delonix
Encyclopedia
Delonix is a genus
of flowering plant
s in the pea
family, Fabaceae
, subfamily
Caesalpinioideae
. It contains tree
s that are native to Madagascar
and east Africa
. By far the best known species is the Royal Poinciana (D. regia).
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek
words δηλος (delos), meaning "evident," and ονυξ (onyx), meaning "claw," referring to the petal
s. The common name, Poinciana, comes from a former genus of the same name in which the members of the current genus Delonix were classified along with plants now placed in the genus Caesalpinia
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the pea
Pea
A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Peapods are botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds developed from the ovary of a flower. However, peas are considered to be a vegetable in cooking...
family, Fabaceae
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
, subfamily
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Caesalpinioideae
Caesalpinioideae
Caesalpinioideae is a botanical name at the rank of subfamily, placed in the large family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. Its name is formed from the generic name Caesalpinia....
. It contains tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s that are native to Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and east Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. By far the best known species is the Royal Poinciana (D. regia).
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
words δηλος (delos), meaning "evident," and ονυξ (onyx), meaning "claw," referring to the petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s. The common name, Poinciana, comes from a former genus of the same name in which the members of the current genus Delonix were classified along with plants now placed in the genus Caesalpinia
Caesalpinia
Caesalpinia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. Membership within the genus is controversial, with different publications including anywhere from 70 to 165 species, depending largely on the inclusion or exclusion of species alternately listed under genera such as...
.
Selected species
- Delonix baccalDelonix baccalDelonix baccal is a species of leguminous tree in the Fabaceae family.It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.-Sources:* Thulin, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
(Chiov.Emilio ChiovendaEmilio Chiovenda was an Italian botanist.He collected in Italy, Eritrea and Ethiopia, especially the he Ruwenzori Mountains, from 1893 to 1909....
) Baker f. (EthiopiaEthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, SomaliaSomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
) - Delonix boivinianaDelonix boivinianaDelonix boiviniana is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found only in Madagascar.-Sources:* Du Puy, D. et al. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
(Baill.Henri Ernest BaillonHenri Ernest Baillon was a French botanist and physician. He was born in Calais on November 30, 1827 and died in Paris on July 19, 1895.Baillon spent his professional life as a professor of natural history, and he published numerous works on botany...
) CapuronRené Paul Raymond CapuronRené Paul Raymond Capuron was a French botanist. Capuron was responsible for an extensive amount of work on the tree flora of Madagascar.- Works :Highlights of his work include:* M...
(MadagascarMadagascarThe Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
) - Delonix brachycarpaDelonix brachycarpaDelonix brachycarpa is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found only in Madagascar.-Sources:* Du Puy, D. et al. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
(R.Vig.) Capuron (Madagascar) - Delonix decaryiDelonix decaryiDelonix decaryi is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found only in Madagascar.-Sources:* Du Puy, D. et al. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
(R.Vig.) Capuron (Madagascar) - Delonix elata (L.) GambleJames Sykes GambleJames Sykes Gamble FRS was an English botanist who specialized in the flora of the Indian sub-continent.He was born in London, the son of Harpur Gamble, M.D...
(East Africa, southern Arabia east to western India) - Delonix floribundaDelonix floribundaDelonix floribunda is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family. It is found only in Madagascar.It has very large flat heads of yellow flowers in late spring. It is grown as a showy ornamental in rich soil in a temperate to tropical climate. It can be propagated from seed.-Sources:* Du Puy, D. et...
(Baill.) Capuron (Madagascar) - Delonix pumilaDelonix pumilaDelonix pumila is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found only in Madagascar.-Sources:* Du Puy, D. et al. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
Du Puy, Phillipson & R.Rabev. (Madagascar) - Delonix regia (BojerWenceslas BojerWenceslas Bojer was a notable naturalist and botanist.He was born to Simon Bojer and Barbara Staub....
ex Hook.William Jackson HookerSir William Jackson Hooker, FRS was an English systematic botanist and organiser. He held the post of Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow University, and was the first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He enjoyed the friendship and support of Sir Joseph Banks for his exploring,...
) Raf.Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-SchmaltzConstantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz, as he is known in Europe, was a nineteenth-century polymath who made notable contributions to botany, zoology, the study of prehistoric earthworks in North America and Mesoamerican ancient linguistics.Rafinesque was eccentric, and is often portrayed as an...
– Royal Poinciana (Madagascar) - Delonix tomentosaDelonix tomentosaDelonix tomentosa is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found only in Madagascar.-Sources:* Du Puy, D. et al. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
(R.Vig.) Capuron (Madagascar) - Delonix velutinaDelonix velutinaDelonix velutina is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found only in Madagascar.-Sources:* Du Puy, D. et al. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
(R.Vig.) Capuron (Madagascar)