Cockspur Coral tree

Broadly spreading trees up to 6 metres in height, originating from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. The trees are hysteranthous - as spring approaches, their bright red, pea shaped flowers are borne at the tips of branches before the foliage.

Here in Australia they have been cultivated as an ornamental plant but have become invasive along waterways and other wet areas in coastal areas of New South Wales and therefore claims an environmental weed status.

This cultivar is Erythrina sykesii.

comments (6)

Pudding4brains

Lion

Hi Ruth, not sure what to do with this request ... first info I find suggests that Erythrina x sykesii is a hybrid form of two Erythrina species (Erythrina coralloides DC. x Erythrina lysistemon Hutch.) and in itself is supposed to be sterile (as with many hybrids, such as a mule). This mere "fact", if accurate, makes it unlikely that it would have become "invasive", or how does the shrub/tree spread? Does it maybe grow new shrubs that pop out of the roots of an existing one, or how should I read this?
Anyway, technically I'm not sure how to work a hybrid into the system, so I'll leave this to Ferdy to decide.
Or might it be that the "invasive" plant is one of the original species used in the crossing? In that case we could create it, but under a different name ... Posted 6 years ago, modified 6 years ago
1. Pudding4brains
  
  Lion
  
  P.S. Ahw, here is better info:
  https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/erythrina_x_sykesii.htm
  Quote:
  "This species does not produce viable seed and only propagates vegetatively, via stem segments and suckers. Logs, branches and even twigs will grow into new plants and they break easily, thereby aiding its spread during floods."
  I'll let Ferdy decide if/how he wants to integrate such a hybrid. We could probably enter it as "Erythrina x sykesii" which is sometimes used as denominator and explain in the species record that it is not a true species or some such?!? Posted 6 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    Thanks for pulling me in. We recently had this discussion and policy for now is to not create species records for hybrids. Note that the system could handle such hybrids by naming, yet there would be no relationship between the cross species, main species, etc. This would also open the door to cultivations, making things even more messy. Posted 6 years ago, modified 6 years ago
  2. 1. Ruth Spigelman
      
      Lion
      
      Thank you Ferdy and duly noted not to request an ID for hybrids. This particular tree is in a friend's garden and she told me the cultivar. But you see them all around here especially near run off drains and creeks. Posted 6 years ago
    2. 1. Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        Thanks, and note that even without a species ID, this wonderful observation can still be found via search, tags, and the country browser, so it's not lost in any way! Posted 6 years ago
  3. Ruth Spigelman
    
    Lion
    
    Thank you for this input and your research :) Posted 6 years ago

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