It is called 'the red wonder of the tropics'.
Delonix Regia, native to the forests of northern Madagascar, is one of the most beautiful flowering tree species in the Fabaceae family, also known as Leguminosae. It is known by many as Flamboyant, which in French means flamboyant, or Flame Tree, (the fire tree), both names deriving their origins from the appearance of the flowering plant which turns bright red.
Widely spread throughout the tropical belt from Australia to the Caribbean islands, it is easy also in Kenya to find oneself marvelling and enchanted in front of this plant during flowering.
This species was previously placed in the Poinciana genus, in fact it is still called Royal Poinciana by many, in honour of Monsieur de Poincy first French Governor of Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts), where the national flower is the Flamboyant flower.
It is a majestic tree that can grow to a height of more than fifteen metres, with long, widened branches that tend to grow horizontally, giving the plant its characteristic umbrella shape, covered with bipinnate leaves reminiscent of ferns, which tend to close at dusk. In the dry season, the plant may lose its leaves completely, but the fruit may remain until the next flowering. The fruit is a long pod of 40 to 60 centimetres containing several dozen dark seeds streaked on the edges, which may remind one of sunflower seeds. Occasionally the fruit is used by local people as a musical instrument, shaking the seeds inside the pod to produce a characteristic shaking sound.
The inflorescence has magnificent large flowers (5 to 10 cm) consisting of five petals, four of which are uniformly coloured deep red or orange while the central petal, which is slightly rounded, is white with yellow streaks.replica audemars piguet
The main use of the flamboyant is ornamental. It is planted in parks, gardens and avenues for its magnificent flowering and as a shade tree for livestock or to protect other tree species, as it is useful for maintaining soil moisture and reducing soil temperature.