Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fabales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA (5/21/15):
Erythrina herbacea
FAMILY
Fabaceae
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Coral-bean from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Erythrina herbacea
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-40-001:
Erythrina herbacea
FAMILY
Fabaceae
INCLUDING
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Erythrina arborea
INCLUDING
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Erythrina herbacea
COMMON NAME:
Coral-bean, Cardinal-spear
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Keith Bradley kab_e_herbacea_06161
March Miami-Dade County FL
)
Keith Bradley kab_e_herbacea_07108
March Miami-Dade County FL
Flowers 1-4" long, tubular, borne perpendicular to axis of the erect stem, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers.
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmeherbacea_home1
April Anderson County SC
An erect, prickly, multistemmed, predominantly herbaceous perennial to 4.5', per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers.
)
JK Marlow jkm090516_076
May Charleston County SC
The 3 leaflets are hastate to widely deltate, occasionally prickly beneath, per Wildflowers of the Eastern United States.
COMPARE
leaves that are trifoliolate and pinnately compound
)
Jerry Bright jeb_072608_164
July Berkeley-Charleston Counties SC
Francis Marion National Forest
Legume severely constricted between bright red seeds, splitting at maturity, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers.
)
JK Marlow jkm181110_5791
November Horry County SC
Myrtle Beach State Park
)
JK Marlow jkm181110_5792
November Horry County SC
Myrtle Beach State Park
WEAKLEY'S FLORA (5/21/15):
Erythrina herbacea
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Erythrina herbacea
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-40-001:
Erythrina herbacea
FAMILY
Fabaceae
INCLUDING
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Erythrina arborea
INCLUDING
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Erythrina herbacea
2441
Shrub; Forb
Perennial
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Documented growing wild in GA NC SC
Uncommon (rare in NC)
Look for it in maritime forests, dry sandy woodlands, sandhills in the outer Coastal Plain, per Weakley's Flora
Click here to see a more detailed map from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Herbarium,
or click here to see a map from SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Stems armed with many small prickles along the internodes OR unarmed
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Odd-pinnately compound: 3 leaflets
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Red
Bilaterally symmetrical
2-lipped campanulate calyx
5-parted corolla, papilionaceous? but standard folded, flower appearing tubular
10 stamens, diadelphous, 9 and 1
Superior ovary
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Legume
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers p210
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC p353
- Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants p092
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast p337
- Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry p090
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States p039
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide p134