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Erythrina berteroana
Fabaceae FAMILY

Erythrina berteroana

Erythrina berteroana

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
1/5

Safety & Hazards

The seeds have long been known to be poisonous, and in recent years there have been obtained from them several alkaloids, some of which resemble curare in their physiological action[1]. The crushed branches are reported to have been used as a fish poison[1]. All Erythrina species contain greater or lesser amounts of toxic alkaloids - these can be found in all parts of the plant but are usually most concentrated in the seeds. Concentrations vary from species to species, in some it is low enough that the plant is safely used as a food. In many, the alkaloids are utilized for their medicinal effects. We have no specific information on the concentration of the alkaloids in this species, but care should be exercised in any use of the plant that involves ingestion. These alkaloids have a curare-like action (obtained from Strychnos species) and can cause paralysis and even death by respiratory failure[2, PFAF].

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Tree
Growth—

A tree of low to moderate elevations in the tropics, where it is found at elevations from sea level to about 1,800 metres[3]. It is found in areas where the annual rainfall ranges from 1,500 - 4,000 mm per year[3]. It succeeds in areas with widely ranging temperatures and it is also presumed that in high elevations the plant is frost resistant[3]. Succeeds in acid soils with a pH as low as 4[3]. Tolerant of soils with a pH up to 8[4]. The tree grows in soils with a high aluminium saturation (more than 50 percent)[3]. All species in this genus are believed to be self-compatible. Their flowers are adapted to pollination by birds, though various insects can also cause fertilization. The various species of Erythrina can all, as far as is known, be intercrossed to produce fertile hybrids. Those species most closely related to each other cross fairly readily, but even species that are quite distant can hybridize[5, 6]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[7].

Propagation

Seed - requires pre-treatment, either by simple scarification in order to permit moisture to penetrate the seed, or by pre-soaking the seed in warm water (around 40 °C) for 12 hours[3]. Germination rates of 85 to 90 percent have been obtained in nursery trials using seeds collected during the previous year and stored in cold chambers at 5 °C with a relative humidity of 30 to 40 percent[3]. Germination may be carried out in boxes filled with washed sand, and seedlings may be transplanted to black plastic bags filled with a mix of soil, sand, and compost (2:1:1 in volume)[3]. Nursery-grown seedlings can be planted in the field when they reach 20 to 30 cm tall. They can be established either by planting directly in the field or by removing seedlings from nursery beds and planting as bareroot stock, first removing all leaves[3]. When vegetatively propagated, large cuttings, 1.5 to 2.5 metres long and 6 to 10 cm in diameter, taken from 1 - 2 year-old branches may be planted up to 40 cm deep[3]. This method is used to establish living fences[3]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Erythrina+berteroana>

Pollinators

Humming birds

References

  1. [1]Flora of Guatemala — Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark · 1946 - 1976 · http://www.archive.org/ ↩︎A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
  2. [2]The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation — Allen O.N.; Allen E.K. · University of Wisconsin · 1981 · ISBN 0-333-32221-5 ↩︎An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus.
  3. [3]Tropical Tree Seed Manual — Vosso. J. Editor. · USDA Forest Service. · 2002 · http://www.rngr.net/Publications/ttsm ↩︎An extremely good guide, it can also be downloaded in its entirety from the address shown above.
  4. [4]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
  5. [5]Plant Resources of Southeast Asia — http://proseanet.org/ ↩︎Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
  6. [6]Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Vol 75 — Missouri Botanical Garden: Boston. · 1988 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Contains, amongst other things, an article on the flora of Tanzania, a treatment of the genus Xyris and one for the Panamanian Boraginaceae. It can be downloaded from the internet.
  7. [7]Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy — United States Department of Agriculture · http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en ↩︎An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
  8. [8]Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands — Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H. · USDA, Forest Service; Washington. · 1964 ↩︎Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
  9. [9]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
  10. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎