About Erythrina variegata L.
Erythrina variegata L. (Indian coral tree) is a thorny deciduous tree that reaches up to 27 meters (89 feet) in height. Its leaves are pinnate, with a 20 centimeter (7.9 inch) petiole and three leaflets; each leaflet can grow up to 20 centimeters long and 20 centimeters broad. This species produces dense clusters of scarlet or crimson flowers, and forms black seeds. Notably, crows have been observed pollinating the Indian coral tree while feeding on its nectar-rich flowers.
Erythrina variegata is widely valued as an ornamental tree, and several cultivars have been selected for cultivation, including 'Alba' which bears white flowers. In Vietnam, its leaves are traditionally used to wrap fermented meat, known locally as nem. In the Philippines, where it is called dapdap in many local languages, its bark and leaves are used in alternative medicine. It is commonly used in agroforestry systems, and its foliage can serve as fodder, as it has good nutritional value for most types of livestock.
Raw seeds of Erythrina variegata are poisonous, but the seeds become edible after cooking. Both the seeds and bark of the tree were historically used to stupefy fish to make catching them easier. The Puyuma tribe, an indigenous group of Formosa, carve a type of mortar called taur from the tree's trunk, which is used to pound sticky rice before the rice is steamed.
