Erythrina - Description and Ecology

Description and Ecology

Not all species of Erythrina have bright red flowers; the Wiliwili (E. sandwicensis) has extraordinary variation in its flower colour, with orange, yellow, salmon, green and white all being found within natural populations. This striking color polymorphism is likely unique in the genus.

All species except the sterile hybrid E. × sykesii have legume-type fruit, sometimes called pods, containing one of more seeds. The resilient buoyant seeds are often carried by the sea for large distances and are commonly called "sea beans".

Erythrina leaves are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the swift moth Endoclita damor and the woolly bears Hypercompe eridanus and Hypercompe icasia. The mite Tydeus munsteri is a pest on the Coastal Coral Tree (E. caffra).

Many birds visit the nectar-rich Erythrina flowers. In the Neotropics, these are usually larger hummingbirds, for example the Swallow-tailed Hummingbird (Eupetomena macroura) and the Black-throated (Anthracothorax nigricollis) and Green-breasted Mango (A. prevostii) – though they seem not to be especially fond of E. speciosa at least, which they visit rather opportunistically. In Southeast Asia, the Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) which usually does not eat nectar in quantity has been observed feeding on E. suberosa flowers, and mynas and of course more specialized nectar feeders also utilize coral tree flowers. Lorikeets such as the Collared Lory (Phigys solitarius) and the possibly extinct New Caledonian Lorikeet (Charmosyna diadema) are known to consume (or have consumed) large amounts of Erythrina nectar. The seeds are eaten by many birds, including the common Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula).