Coral Tree

Description:

Tree without leaves, but in full bloom! It attracted a lot of sun-birds eating the nectar.

Habitat:

House garden on the country side.

Notes:

All species (except the sterile hybrid E. sykesii) have legume-type fruit, sometimes called pods, containing one of more seeds. The resilient buoyant seeds are often carried by the sea for large distances and are commonly called "sea beans". The seeds of at least one-third of the species contain potent erythrina alkaloids, and some of these are used for medicinal and other purposes by indigenous peoples. They are all toxic to some degree however, and the seeds of some can cause fatal poisoning.