Flamboyant

Royal poinciana is a semi-deciduous tree 9–15 m tall (occasionally to 18 m) with a broad, umbrella-shaped crown on wide-spreading branches. Its leaves are bipinnate, 30–50 cm long, divided into 11–18 pairs of pinnae, each carrying 20–40 pairs of small oblong leaflets, giving a delicate fern-like appearance. The bisexual flowers are borne in terminal clusters; each is 8–10 cm across with five scarlet-orange petals, the uppermost (standard) petal larger and streaked with white and yellow, and ten free stamens. The fruit is a flat, woody pod 30–60 cm long, dark brown when ripe and holding many hard, oval seeds. The tree flowers in summer and sheds its leaves in the dry season; the chromosome number is 2n = 28.

Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/09/2026

According to Kew POWO, Delonix regia is native to Madagascar, where it grows in the dry deciduous forests of the west and south-west of the island. Because of its beauty and drought tolerance it has been introduced and planted throughout the tropics and subtropics: India and South Asia, South-East Asia (including Vietnam, where it is bound up with schoolyards and the exam season), mainland Africa, the Caribbean and Central America, northern Australia and many Pacific islands. In these regions it is almost always a planted ornamental and rarely forms large self-sown wild populations; in Vietnam it is grown in most provinces.

Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/09/2026

Phytochemical studies show that royal poinciana contains several groups of compounds. The leaves, flowers and bark are rich in flavonoids, notably quercetin, kaempferol, rhamnetin and isorhamnetin and their glycosides; the flowers contain anthocyanins (cyanidin derivatives) responsible for their scarlet-orange colour. The bark and wood contain tannins, gallic acid and other phenolics, while the leaves yield sterols and triterpenes such as β-sitosterol and lupeol. The seeds contain a galactomannan mucilage (a polysaccharide) able to form gels and act as a coagulant. Saponins, alkaloids and cardiac glycosides have also been reported in some parts. Composition and content vary with plant part, season and growing conditions.

Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/09/2026

Royal poinciana is grown chiefly as a shade and ornamental tree for its broad canopy and showy flowers; its light, soft wood is used for cheap furniture and fuel, and the hard seeds are strung into necklaces and ornaments. In folk medicine in many countries, various parts are used against inflammation, rheumatism, bronchitis, diabetes, fever and digestive complaints. Pharmacological reviews report antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hepatoprotective, hypoglycaemic and larvicidal activities of different extracts. Seed galactomannan gum has been studied as a natural coagulant for clarifying turbid water, and flower anthocyanins have been explored as natural dyes and antioxidants.

Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/09/2026

Delonix regia has not been formally assessed globally on the IUCN Red List (Not Evaluated) and is not listed in the CITES appendices; because it is planted so widely it is not threatened globally, although wild populations in Madagascar are shrinking through habitat loss. As for safety, several parts (especially seeds and bark) may contain saponins, alkaloids and mildly toxic compounds and should not be eaten casually; herbal extracts should be used at proper doses and with caution because human clinical data are still limited. Pollen and seeds can trigger allergy in sensitive people. When planting, note that the vigorous roots and large canopy can affect buildings, and the deciduous habit produces much leaf litter.

Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/09/2026