Sun and Moon

 

 

Flowering Trees

 

Below are pictured some beautiful flowering trees that I have come to know and admire. Royal poincianas, jacarandas and floss silk trees all hail from Central and South America, though they are planted in the United States too, at least in places like Hawaii, Florida and southern California. You can see poincianas throughout Central America and in Colombia, often, if not always, bearing the gorgeous blossoms that appear below. I have seen jacarandas, and floss silk trees especially, here in South America also, but, unfortunately, they are not always in bloom. Coral trees are tropical trees too, but I came to know them in California. There are about 700 species of corals. Crape myrtles are small trees with graceful, nearly upright branches, distantly related to much larger eucalyptus trees. And of course, lilac trees and cherry trees are familiar in the United States. I first became aware of lilacs in the early eighties when I was living in Roswell, in north suburban Atlanta, where they vie with dogwood and wild roses to adorn the green landscape. The cherry trees pictured below are from Japan.

Incidentally, royal poinciana trees (Delonix regia) are sometimes called flamboyant trees. However, there is another tree (Peltophorum pterocarpum), from the shores and isles of the Indian Ocean, called a yellow flamboyant tree. There's one in the Los Angeles Arboretum. These two trees constitute different genera in the family Fabaceae. I have included a yellow flamboyant to show the difference.

 

The scientific names of plants have been recently revised.  The new system is APG II; the old systen was called Cronquist.  I have noted some of the differences below. 

 

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Royal Poinciana

or Flamboyant Trees

Scientific name:

APG II (current): Fabales Fabaceae, Delonix regia

Cronquist: (the same)

 

 

Blossoms of Delonix regia

 

 

 

 

 

Yellow Flamboyant Tree

 

Scientific name:

APG II (Current): Fabales Fabaceae, Peltophorum pterocarpum

Cronquist: (the same)

 

 

 

Blossoms of Peltophorum pterocarpum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jacaranda Tree

Scientific names:

APG II (current): Lamiales Bignoniaceae, genus Jacaranda (49 species)

Cronquist (obsolete): Scrophulariales Bignoniaceae, genus Jacaranda (49 species)

 

 

 

Blossoms of Jacaranda mimosifolia

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floss Silk Tree

Scientific names:

APG II (current): Malvales Malvaceae, Ceiba speciosa

Cronquist (obsolete): Malvales Bombacaceae, Chorisia speciosa

 

 

 

Blossoms of Ceiba speciosa

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coral Tree

Scientific names:

APG II (current): Fabales Fabacea Erythrina (100+ species)

Cronquist: (the same)

 

 

 

 

Blossoms of Erythrina x sykesii

(a species of Coral tree)

 

 

 

 

Crape Myrtle Trees

Scientific names:

APG II (current): Myrtales Lythraceae Lagerstroemia (50 species)

Cronquist: (the same)

 

 

Blossoms of Lagerstroemia (Crape myrtle)

 

 

 

 

 

Lilac Tree

 

 

 

 

Japanese Cherry Trees in Bloom

 

 

Photo Credits:

Royal Poinciana or Flamboyant Tree (Delonix Regia):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flamboyant_trees_in_Blakiston_St%2C_Harare%2C_Zimbabwe%2C_1975.jpg

Blossoms of Delonix regia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:RoyalPoincianaFlower.jpg

Yellow Flamboyant Tree (Peltophorum pterocarpum):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Peltophorum_pterocarpum2.jpg

Blossoms of Peltophorum pterocarpum:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Peltophorum_pterocarpum3.jpg

Jacaranda Tree:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jacarandatree.jpg

Blossoms of Jacaranda mimosifolia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jacaranda_in_Blossom.jpg

Floss Silk Tree

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=492707099&size=l

Blossoms of Ceiba speciosa:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flordepaineiraabelha.jpg

Coral Tree:

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=867658465&size=l

Blossoms of Erythrina x sykesii

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ErythrinaXsykesii.JPG

Crape Myrtle Trees:

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=227431237&size=l

Blossoms of Lagerstroemia (crape myrtle)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Crepe-myrtle-pink.jpg

Lilac Tree:

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=229457223&size=o

Japanese Cherry Trees in Bloom:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SakuraHealed.png