Erythrina poeppigiana (Walpers) O.F.Cook, Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 12 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Erythrina micropteryx Poepp.; Micropteryx poeppigiana Walp.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: coraltree, immortelle tree, mountain immortelle

Spanish: amasisa, anauca, bucaro, ceibo, poró extranjero, poró gigante, saibo

Habit:  tree

Description:  "This fast-growing tree...is characterized by compound leaves composed of 3 leaflets (7-25 cm in length)  with cup-shaped stipules at the base of the 2 smaller leaflets.  Racemes (10-20 cm in length) are held nearly horizontally.  The trees are at least partially deciduous in Hawaii, with displays of orange flowers developing in the winter.  The saplings have thorny trunks, becoming more or less smooth with age.  The 1.5 cm long, bean-type seeds are probably dispersed by wind, as the seed pod is light and papery"  (Daehler & Baker, 2006; pp. 7-8).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i (O‘ahu), spreading from planted trees in Lyon Arboretum.  "Seedlings and saplings were commonly seen within 100 m of planted specimens; however, spontaneous plants of all life stages, including flowering and fruiting individuals, are scattered throughout the Arboretum.  A second generation of seedlings and saplings was noted around the larger spontaneous individuals.  A naturalized flowering specimen was also observed in secondary forest on neighboring property"  (Daehler & Baker, 2006; pp. 7-8).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical America (Daehler & Baker, 2006; p. 7).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Daehler, Curtis C./Baker, Raymond F. (2006) (pp. 7-8) Vouchers cited: C. Daehler 1212 (BISH), K. Nagata 808 (HLA)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Fact sheet from the Agroforestree database.
Fact sheet from Tropical Forages.
Fact sheet from Winrock International.
Excerpt from James A. Duke. 1983. Handbook of Energy Crops. Unpublished.
Information from the USDA Tropical Tree Seed Manual (PDF format).

Additional online information about Erythrina poeppigiana is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Erythrina poeppigiana as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Erythrina poeppigiana may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Charles Darwin Foundation. 2008. Database inventory of introduced plant species in the rural and urban zones of Galapagos. Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador.

Daehler, Curtis C./Baker, Raymond F. 2006. New records of naturalized and naturalizing plants around Lyon Arboretum, Mānoa Valley, O‘ahu. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2004-2005. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 87:3-18.

ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre. 2011. International Legume Database & Information Service. Online searchable database.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).