Erythrina variegata L.

 

Scientific Name: Erythrina variegata L.

Family: Fabaceae

Synonym: Chirocalyx candolleanus Walp. 

Vernacular name: Kalyana, Mullumurukku, Murukku 

Habit: Tree

Habitat: Dry deciduous forests, widely grown as pepper stand and for fencing

Distribution: Indo-Malesia, China and Africa

Flowering and Fruiting: March-April

Key identification features: Deciduous tree with yellowish-green bark, smooth, peeling off in flakes; trifoliate leaves, alternate. Bright red flowers in dense racemes. Torulose fruit, dehiscent; seeds 6-8.

 

Tribal Consumers: Adiya

 Uses: Erythrina variegata leaves and flowers are used in traditional medicine for their potential anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.