Uruguay National Flower

The kapok, seibo, bucare (Erythrina crista-galli, the Greek ??????? erythros, red ~ ~, and Latin crista galli, cockscomb) is a tree of the family Fabaceae native to South America, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay Argentina and Uruguay. For Argentina, this flower is also one of the distinctive national. Also known by other common names such as tree coral, flower coral, pico de gallo, rooster, Sananduva. Tree is the national flower of Uruguay and Argentina.

It is a tree of small size (about 5 to 8 m) with some as high as 10 m high, and ceiba trees of the provinces of Salta, Jujuy and Tucuman in Argentina. Its root is a taproot, with lumps produced by nutrifying bacteria living in symbiosis, giving it the absorption of nitrogen fixing and which is taken by the organic substances produced.

The stem is woody, tortuous, irregular, spiny branches that form a shapeless coat and die after flowering.The flowers are arranged in clustered inflorescence are pentamerous, complete and bilateral symmetry. Its color is red. The plants bloom from October to April. The calyx is gamosepalous, like a little red thimble. Shape with a perianth corolla where sepals and petals are of similar color, but differently. Its edge is characterized by brown color gives wilted appearance. The corolla, similar to the Phaseolus vulgaris, is amariposada, but differs in that the standard, which is the largest petal, is disposed on the bottom. The petals called wings, are very small and are practically hidden within the calyx.The other two petals are sometimes partially welded to form the keel or carina to protect the reproductive organs.

Title: Uruguay National Flower
Date of Issue: 12 April 2010
Country: Uruguayo
Denominations: $12