Delonix is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It contains trees 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 petals. 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.
Species
12 species are accepted:3
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Delonix baccal (Chiov.) Baker f. | Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia | |
| Delonix boiviniana (Baill.) Capuron | Madagascar | |
| Delonix brachycarpa (R.Vig.) Capuron | Madagascar | |
| Delonix decaryi (R.Vig.) Capuron | Madagascar | |
| Delonix edulis (H.Perrier) Babineau & Bruneau | Madagascar | |
| Delonix elata (L.) Gamble | East Africa, southern Arabia east to western India | |
| Delonix floribunda (Baill.) Capuron | Madagascar | |
| Delonix leucantha (R.Vig.) Du Puy, Phillipson & R.Rabev. | Madagascar | |
| Delonix pumila Du Puy, Phillipson & R.Rabev. | Madagascar | |
| Delonix regia (Bojer ex Hook.) Raf. | Madagascar4 | |
| Delonix tomentosa (R.Vig.) Capuron | Madagascar | |
| Delonix velutina (R.Vig.) Capuron | Madagascar |
Use
These plants (collectively known as fengoky or fengoka) release brown resin lumps that can be dissolved to make glue, or sucked as edible sweets among the Malagasy. Their seeds too are roasted and eaten as a snack in the south.5
External links
- Media related to Delonix at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Delonix at Wikispecies
References
The Legume Phylogeny Working Group (LPWG). (2017). "A new subfamily classification of the Leguminosae based on a taxonomically comprehensive phylogeny". Taxon. 66 (1): 44–77. doi:10.12705/661.3. hdl:10568/90658. https://doi.org/10.12705%2F661.3 ↩
Gledhill, David (2008). The Names of Plants (4 ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-521-86645-3. 978-0-521-86645-3 ↩
Delonix Raf. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 1 August 2023. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30339041-2 ↩
"Subordinate Taxa of Delonix Raf". TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2009-10-22. http://tropicos.org/NameSubordinateTaxa.aspx?nameid=40023189 ↩
Puy, David J. Du; Phillipson, Peter B.; Rabevohitra, Raymond (1995). "The Genus Delonix (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae: Caesalpinieae) in Madagascar". Kew Bulletin. 50 (3): 450–1. Bibcode:1995KewBu..50..445P. doi:10.2307/4110322. JSTOR 4110322. /wiki/Kew_Bulletin ↩