About Erythrina zeyheri Harv.
Taxon Identity
Erythrina zeyheri Harv. is a geoxylic plant sometimes referred to as an "underground tree".
Annual Stem Growth
It grows annual stems that reach 50 to 60 cm in length.
Leaf Characteristics
Its leaves are glabrous, leathery, trifoliolate, and have large leaflets.
Leaf Spination
The leaf rachis and main leaf venation, which are prominently raised on the lower leaf surface, are covered in recurved spines on both leaf surfaces.
Petiole and Stem Spination
Petioles and stems are also armed with these spines to discourage browsers.
Deciduous Trait and Overwintering
Shoots and leaves are deciduous, and die back during harsh highveld winters; the plant survives this period via an extensive woody, tuberous rootstock.
Inflorescence Timing
Upright inflorescences grow alongside leaves during summer, from October to January.
Flower Characteristics
The drooping flowers are most commonly scarlet, and rarely white, and are topped by red calyxes.
Pod Characteristics
When mature, the plant produces smooth black pods that each hold a few large seeds.
Seed Characteristics
The seeds are 1.0 to 1.7 cm long, hard, and orange-red in colour.
