Ceibo

Erythrina crista-galli
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For the province in the Dominican Republic, see El Seibo Province.
For the capital of the province, seeSanta Cruz de El Seibo.
Cockspur Coral Tree


Flowers
Conservation status


Apparently Secure (NatureServe)

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms(unranked): Eudicots

(unranked): Rosids

Order: Fabales

Family: Fabaceae

Genus: Erythrina

Species: E. crista-galli
Binomial name

Erythrina crista-galli
L.

Synonyms

Many, see textErythrina crista-galli is a flowering tree in the family Fabaceae, native to Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay. It is widely planted as a street or garden tree in other countries, mostnotably in California (in the United States). It is known by several common names within South America: ceibo, seíbo (Spanish), corticeira (Portuguese) and the more ambiguous bucaré, to name a few. InEnglish it is often known as the Cockspur Coral Tree.
The tree's flower is the national flower of Argentina (since 23 December 1942) and Uruguay.
This species characteristically grows wild in galleryforest ecosystems along watercourses, as well as in swamps and wetlands. In urban settings, it is often planted in parks for its bright red flowers.
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Description
• 2 Synonyms
•3 References
• 4 External links

[edit] Description


A ceibo tree in an urban park in Rosario, Argentina.
Erythrina crista-galli is a small tree, the girth of its trunk measuring 50 cm (20in). Normally it grows 5–8 m (16–26 ft) tall, although some individuals, such as in the Argentine provinces of Salta, Jujuy and Tucumán, can grow up to 10 m (33 ft).
The root is a taproot with nodulesproduced by nitrogen fixing bacteria. The bacteria live in symbiosis with the tree, facilitating the tree's absorption of nitrogen in return for organic substances which the bacteria need. The...