NameThatPlant.net: Erythrina herbacea

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fabales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Erythrina herbacea FAMILY Fabaceae Go to FSUS key

Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.

Learn more about Coral-bean from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

INCLUDED WITHIN PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Erythrina herbacea FAMILY Fabaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-40-001:

Erythrina herbacea FAMILY Fabaceae

COMMON NAME:
Coral-bean, Cardinal-spear

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Erythrina herbacea FAMILY Fabaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Erythrina herbacea FAMILY Fabaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-40-001:
Erythrina herbacea FAMILY Fabaceae

2441

Shrub; Forb
Perennial

Habitat: maritime forests, dry sandy woodlands, hammocks, longleaf pine sandhills, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Uncommon in Coastal Plain of GA & SC, rare in NC

CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Stems armed with many small prickles along the internodes OR unarmed

LEAVES:
Deciduous
Odd-pinnately compound: 3 leaflets
Alternate

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Red
Bilaterally symmetrical
2-lipped campanulate calyx
5-parted corolla, papilionaceous? but standard folded, flower appearing tubular
10 stamens, diadelphous, 9 and 1
Superior ovary

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Legume

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!

If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".

Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".