Scientific Name : Tabebuia chrysantha (Jacq.) G. Nicholson
Common Name : Yellow Pui, Araguaney
Chinese Name : 黃鐘木, 黃花風鈴木
Family : BIGNONIACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species
| Origins | Native to Central to South America, in the regions of Mexico to Venezuela. |
|---|---|
| National tree | The species is the National Tree of Venezuela. Its relative Tabebuia serratifolia (Vahl) G.Nicholson is the unofficial national floral emblem of Brazil. |
| Meanings of names | Its golden yellow flower resembles a wind chime in shape, and somewhat likes a bell, hence its Chinese Name “Yellow-Wind-Chime Wood (黃花風鈴木)” and “Yellow-Bell Wood (黃鐘木)” are given. |
| Applications | The species has relatively high aesthetic value. Its flowers usually do not co-exist with the foliage. During full blossom, numerous globes of golden inflorescence hang on the tips of branches. The entire tree splendidly crowded with its flowers which paint the full sight in gold colour. The fascinating scenery can be astonishing enough to let people stop for appreciation. After flowering, the tree dresses up with green leaves. Changing its “scenery” along seasons, Araguaney is an excellent garden landscaping tree and a newly popular street tree species. |
| Growing habit | Deciduous tree. |
|---|---|
| Height | To 20 m. |
| Stems | Bark of trunk grey, with conspicuous and deep ridged cracks. Trunk erect, branching many. |
| Leaves | Palmately compound leaves, leaflets 4 to 5, oblong-elliptic to obovate, membranaceous to rigid-papary, margin sometimes sparsely serrate. Central leaflet larger, lateral leaflets progressively smaller, with petiolules, like a hand in outline. Leaves fallen during winter, young leaves emerge after flowering period. |
| Flowers | Petals fused, tubular to infundibuliform, 5-lobed, lobes suborbicular, the lobe pointing downward comparatively larger, the other 4 subequal, with wavy margin. Corolla golden yellow with conspicuous reddish penciling in throat. Corolla tube same colour as the lobes. Calyx campanulate, greenish, 5-lobed, sparsely covered with short indumentum. |
| Fruits | Capsule linear-cylindrical, tapering at both ends, surface rough and striate, dehiscing longitudinally when dried. |
| Seeds | Seeds have hyaline membranous wings. |
| Flowering period | Spring in Hong Kong. Flowering period of each individual is very short, approximately one to two weeks. |
| Fruiting period | Tightly followed by the end of flowering period. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website : https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=5061
Scientific names from other databases
― Plants of the World Online : Handroanthus chrysanthus (Jacq.) S.O.Grose