Common Name: Coral Bean

General Information

Erythrina fusca is a medium to large, much-branched, spreading, soft-wooded, deciduous tree with a rounded crown[, ]. It usually grows 10 - 15 metres tall, with occasional specimens as tall as 26 metres, with a short, spiny bole up to 60cm in diameter that is sometimes buttressed to 2 metres[, ].
The edible leaves and flowers are gathered from wild plants for local use[]. The tree is strongly recommended as a multipurpose tree for agroforestry[]. It is widely grown, especially in tropical America, as a shade tree for coffee and cocoa, although more recently less often because of the necessary labour-consuming pruning work[]. It is also often planted as living fence in Central America, and as a support tree for vanilla plants and betel peppers in many areas of the tropics[]. The tree is also grown as an ornamental and shade tree[].

Known Hazards

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[, ].

Botanical References

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Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, north through Central America to Guatemala and the Caribbean.

Habitat

A pioneer species, most commonly found on the outer margins of swamps on sites that are not permanently flooded[]. Coastal freshwater swamps[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	15.00 m
Pollinators	Birds
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds at low to moderate elevations in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate areas[]. It can be grown at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 16 - 24°c, but can tolerate 12 - 32°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,200 - 3,000mm, but tolerates 1,000 - 3,500mm[].
It seems to prefer littoral locations with badly drained soils, like swamps and stream banks and upland riverine marshes[]. In an experiment, it has shown better performance on acid soils of pH 4.3 and aluminium saturation of 80%[]. Prefers a pH in the range 4.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4 - 7[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[].
Frequently hybridizes with other Erythrina species[].
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[, ].
The seeds float in water and at times have been dispersed by ocean currents[].
Established trees stand regular pruning very well. They start sprouting rapidly and develop strong shoots[]. The tree is managed under a moderate regime of pruning if it is grown as a shade tree for cocoa. The trees are partially pollarded once every 1 - 2 years, leaving a few branches per tree to regulate light influx to the crop[]. A 6 month pollarding cycle is used for trees supporting black pepper vines[].
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[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - raw in salads or cooked and used as a vegetable[, , ].

Flowers - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[, ].

Medicinal

An infusion of the bark is used in the treatment of liver ailments and to induce sleep[]. A decoction of the bark is used in treating intermittent fevers[].
The scraped inner bark is used as a poultice on fresh wounds[, ]. The stem bark and root bark are mixed with the stem bark of Parkia pendula to make a cataplasm that is applied to the head to treat violent and persistent headaches[].

Bark or root decoctions are used in the treatment of beriberi[].

The root is antirheumatic, sudorific and, in large doses, purgative[, ]. A decoction is used to treat feverish maladies such as malaria and flu[].

The bruised leaves are used for cleansing putrid ulcers[].. They are applied locally to treat the pain of toothache[].

The flowers are antitussive[]. A decoction is used to soothe coughs[].

The seed contains the anaesthetic alkaloid erythroidine[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Often planted as a shade tree in cocoa and coffee plantations in Central America and less frequently in Southeast Asia[, , ].
The tree is a pioneer species, germinating in open land and creating the right habitat for forest trees to grow. The feasibility of using it in reforestation projects in the tropics as a nurse tree for other tree species is an alternative that can be explored[].
It has been observed that cocoa trees planted near this species produce more pods than those growing farther away from the shade trees[]. This is attributed to increased litter fall in plantations with this species, which adds to the available amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil[].
The tree is occasionally used in live fences although much less commonly than Erythrina berteroana and other Erythrina species[]. It is also used as a support for black pepper vines and vanilla plants[, ].
The tree is planted as a hedge[].
Where rainfall is irregular and sometimes below 1,000 mm per year, this species has been noted to persist in prolonged drought without losing its leaves, recirculating nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from prunings. It is therefore a promising species for agroforestry systems in such areas where it would be intercropped with maize and cassava[].

Other Uses

The presence of ant-repellent compounds in the nectar has been reported[].

The heartwood is light yellow to yellowish brown. It is light in weight, moderately soft, weak, not durable, and scarcely suitable for lumber. It is used for making canoes and for carving[, ].
Farmers occasionally use the dry branches as fuel wood, despite claims that the branches do not burn well and produce a lot of ash. It is used more because it is available rather than because it is preferred[].

Propagation

Fresh seeds, and those harvested within 3 - 6 months of maturity, can be sown without any special treatment. Germination rates are generally high and are often 100%. Seeds over 6 months old may take between 12 - 18 months to germinate due to their hard seed coat which becomes tougher with age. Soaking them in hot water, or abrading their seedcoat, can reduce this time considerably. They may be added to water which has just fallen below boiling point and left in the water as it cools for a minimum of one hour, but up to 12 hours for seed 3 years or more old, and then sown in the usual way. Alternatively, file the seeds with a slender triangular file. A groove can be made through the sides of the seed coat with care so as to avoid damaging the cotyledons or embryo, which usually results in the death of the seeds from fungal attack or in malformed and weakened seedlings[].
Seeds of most species produce strong seedlings from healthy seeds in almost any well-drained soil, with a minimum of trouble from damping-off disease[].
When used as a shade or nurse tree, it is propagated by large cuttings, about 2 metres long and 6 - 10 cm in diameter[]. Rooting success is excellent provided soil moisture is close to field capacity[].

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