Erythrina herbacea, 1 1 



ft o ot tuberous, large, contorted, branched below. Stem of a pur- 

 plish colour, from two to three feet high, mostly herbaceous, but oc- 

 casionally persistent, invested with a few prickles. Leaves ternate ; 

 petioles aculeate. Folioles slightly coriaceous, smooth, hastate-rhom- 

 boid, sub-acute, very much dilated laterally, appearing three-lobed; 

 the terminal foliole larger than the lateral, and the latter often differ- 

 ing in size and shape. Flowers borne in long terminal spikes, sup- 

 ported by tall stalks. Pedicels for the most part ternate, sometimes 

 solitary and irregularly scattered ; always one-flowered. Calix en- 

 tire and truncated, without honey-glands at the base ; suddenly at- 

 tenuated and corrugated with longitudinal furrows at its juncture 

 with the pedicel; of a duller red hue than the conspicuous banner 

 of the flower. Corolla with a long sabre-shaped vexillum of a deep 

 carmine-red colour. Wings and keel inconspicuous, very short, 

 membranaceous, and of a dingy purple hue. Stamens distinctly ten, 

 coalescing by the filaments into a solid cylinder towards the base, 

 except the tenth, which is separated. Germen pediceliated ; seeds 

 bright scarlet, with a black eye. A native of the open, bushy forests 

 of Carolina, Georgia and Florida, and according to Mr. Nuttall, "not 

 far from the sea-coast, rather rare." 



This elegant perennial is the only herbaceous American species 

 of the gaudy genus Erythrina, yet known. They are all character- 

 ised by red flowers, and hence the generic term, from «^*, red. 

 The English appellation of Coral tree likewise common to all the 

 species, is expressive of the same constancy in this character. 



