Notice

Colin Mills, compiler of the Hortus Camdenensis, died in late November 2012 after a short illness. As he always considered the Hortus his legacy, it is his family's intention to keep the site running in perpetuity. It will not, however, be updated in the near future.

Erythrina lithosperma Miq.

A tall tree, with branchlets often unarmed, the leaflets glabrous, greenish, the end one roundish, acute.  Flowers in racemes contemporaneous with the leaves.  Calyx velvety, finally splitting down nearly to the base in two lips.  Stalked pod much recurved, 4-5 in. long, broader in lower half.  [J. D. Hooker - The Flora of British India p.190/1879].

Horticultural & Botanical History

Erythrina subumbrans (Hassk.) comb. nov.  […] Native names: Dapdap (Manila, Cavite, Tayabas, Mindoro); Sublang (Abra).  Indo-China to the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago.

What I consider to be the oldest valid name is here adopted for this species.  It is the species usually known as Erythrina lithosperma Blume, but the original E. lithosperma Blume Cat. (1823) 92, nomen nudum, and later very fully described by Hasskarl is Erythrina indica Lam., as noted by Koorders & Valeton while the Erythrina lithosperma Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. 1 (1855) 209, is not at all Blume’s species but is the form here considered as E. subumbrans.  Prain proposes to retain the species under the name of E. lithosperma but with Miquel as its author instead of Blume, but to avoid confusion I consider it advisable to abandon the name altogether.  Both the spiny form (var. armata Miq., and the spineless one (var. inermis Miq.) are represented in the material cited above.’  [Philippine Journal of Science vol.5, p.113/1910].

History at Camden Park

Listed in the 1845, 1850 and 1857 catalogues [T.430/1845].

Notes

Erythrina lithosperma Blume = Erythrina variegata L.

Published Dec 20, 2009 - 04:06 PM | Last updated Jul 21, 2010 - 11:55 AM

Family Fabaceae
Category
Region of origin

Tropical Asia

Synonyms
  • Erythrina subumbrans (Hassk.) Merr.
  • Hypaphorus subumbrans Hassk. 
Common Name
Name in the Camden Park Record

Erythrina lithosperma 

Confidence level high