Spathodea

Spathodea is a <a href="/facts/Genus/m8EFjSms">genus</a> in the plant family <a href="/facts/Bignoniaceae/qDXuXBBP">Bignoniaceae</a>. The single species it contains, Spathodea campanulata, is commonly known as the African tulip tree. The tree grows between 7–25 m (23–82 ft) tall and is native to <a href="/facts/Tropical_dry_forest/o88ufPT5">tropical dry forests</a> of Africa. It has been nominated as among 100 of the "World's Worst" invaders.
This tree is planted extensively as an <a href="/facts/Ornamental_plant/ImyCDwMW">ornamental tree</a> throughout the tropics and is much appreciated for its very showy reddish-orange or crimson (rarely yellow), campanulate <a href="/facts/Flower/7gI5Kefw">flowers</a>. The <a href="/facts/Genus/m8EFjSms">generic name</a> comes from the <a href="/facts/Ancient_Greek/LIK7NlUh">Ancient Greek</a> words σπαθη (spathe) and οιδα (oida), referring to the <a href="/facts/Spathe/pnMGNMdn">spathe</a>-like <a href="/facts/Flower/7gI5Kefw">calyx</a>. It was identified by Europeans in 1787 on the <a href="/facts/Gold_Coast_(region)/3zwzJhwA">Gold Coast</a> of Africa.

Spathodea open-in-new

Spathodea