Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree)
Index
- Pictures
- Identity
- Summary of Invasiveness
- Taxonomic Tree
- Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Description
- Plant Type
- Distribution
- Distribution Table
- History of Introduction and Spread
- Risk of Introduction
- Habitat
- Habitat List
- Biology and Ecology
- Climate
- Latitude/Altitude Ranges
- Air Temperature
- Rainfall
- Rainfall Regime
- Soil Tolerances
- Notes on Natural Enemies
- Means of Movement and Dispersal
- Pathway Causes
- Pathway Vectors
- Impact Summary
- Economic Impact
- Environmental Impact
- Risk and Impact Factors
- Uses
- Uses List
- Wood Products
- Similarities to Other Species/Conditions
- Prevention and Control
- References
- Contributors
- Distribution Maps
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Top of pagePreferred Scientific Name
- Spathodea campanulata P. Beauv.
Preferred Common Name
- African tulip tree
Other Scientific Names
- Bignonia tulipifera Schum.
- Spathodea campanulata susp. congolana Bidgood
- Spathodea campanulata susp. nilotica (Seem.) Bidgood
- Spathodea danckelmaniana Büttner
- Spathodea nilotica Seem.
- Spathodea nilotica f. bryanii O. Deg. & I. Deg.
- Spathodea tulipifera (Schum.) G. Don
International Common Names
- English: fireball; flame of the forest; Flame tree; fountain tree; Gabon tulip tree; Nandi flame; Nile flame; squirt tree; tulip tree; Uganda flame
- Spanish: amapola; espatodea; galeana; gallito; llama del bosque; llama Nandi; mampolo; meaito; miona; tulipán Africano; tulipanero
- French: baton du sorcier; flamme de la forêt; immortel étranger; pissat de singe; pisse l'eau; pisse-pisse; tulipier d'Afrique; tulipier du Gabon
Local Common Names
- Brazil: arvore-da-bisnaga; bisnagueira; espadódea; sejagan; tulipa-da-áfrica; tulipeiro-da-áfrica; tulipero-africano
- China: neerukayi maru (Cantonese)
- Cook Islands: mata koii; mimi; patati vai; pititi vai
- Fiji: taga mimi
- Germany: Afrikanischer Tulpenbaum; Tulpenbaum, Afrikanischer
- India: Nandi flame; patadi (Tamil); Rugtoora (Hindi)
- Kenya: kibobakasi (Swahili)
- Malaysia: panchut-panchut
- Mexico: tulipero de Gabón
- Micronesia, Federated states of: dulip en Aprika (Pohnpei); ramingobchey; tuhke dulip
- Palau: orsachel kui
- Samoa: fa'apasi
- Spain: tulipanero de Gabón
- Sri Lanka: kudaella gaha (Sinhala); kudulu; patadi (Tamil)
- Tonga: tiale akapisipisi; tiulipe
- Uganda: kibobakasi; kifabakazi; sebetaiyet
EPPO code
- SPOCA (Spathodea campanulata)
Summary of Invasiveness
Top of pageS. campanulata is widely and commonly known as the African tulip tree, and has been introduced pan-tropically for its ornamental value. However, profuse fruiting and the masses of wind-dispersed seeds means that only a few trees can begin a process of invasion, and suckering ensures that it is difficult to remove by standard cutting methods. It is invasive in many countries, mostly tropical islands in the Pacific, Indian and Caribbean, but also Singapore, Papua New Guinea and Australia. Removal of trees is highly recommended, particularly when they are in close proximity to natural vegetation or waterways.
Taxonomic Tree
Top of page- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Spermatophyta
- Subphylum: Angiospermae
- Class: Dicotyledonae
- Order: Scrophulariales
- Family: Bignoniaceae
- Genus: Spathodea
- Species: Spathodea campanulata
Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature
Top of pageSome consider Spathodea as a monospecific genus with Spathodea campanulata as the only species, whereas others include S. obvata Kunth as a second species (e.g. USDA-ARS, 2008). The only recorded synonym for S. campanulata is S. nilotica from the extreme east of the native range in Uganda, and it may be sufficiently distinct to merit varietal status. will There are clearly morphological similarities with many other genera, as Spathodea spp. are recorded as synonyms for species belonging to a range of genera including Dolichandrone, Halophragma, Markhamia, Newbouldia, Phryganocydia, Radermachera and Tabebuia.
Description
Top of pageS. campanulata is a medium-size to large tree up to 35 m tall and 175 cm in diameter. It has a stout and sometimes buttressed trunk, thick branches spotted with small white lenticels. Leaves are usually opposite (rarely 3 at a node), very widely diverging, up to 50 cm long, (7-) 11-15 (-17) leaflets broadly elliptic or ovate, entire, to 15 x 7.5 cm, with 7-8 principal veins on each side, puberulent and prominent beneath, apex very slightly acuminate, base somewhat asymmetrically obtuse, lower leaflets tending to be reflexed, petiolule short, 2-3 mm, rachis nearly straight, brownish-puberulent, petiole up to 6 cm long, thickened at base. Raceme are 8-10 cm long on a peduncle of about the same length, with a pair of reduced leaves about halfway up, rachis and pedicels thick, brownish puberulent, bracts subtending pedicels lanceolate, curved, about 1 cm long, caducous, pair of bractlets near summit of pedicel similar, opposite; calyx strongly curved upward, asymmetric, about 5 cm long, tapering, somewhat ribbed, splitting at anthesis to within a few mm of base along dorsal curve, apex horn-like, blunt, exterior brownish sericeous puberulent; corolla bright vermilion or scarlet, 10-12 cm long, mouth of limb about 7 cm across, lobes about 3 cm long, obtuse, margins strongly crispate, orange-yellow; filaments about 5 cm long, dull orange anthers arcuate, linear, very dark brown, 15 mm long; style yellow, 8 cm long, stigma reddish. Fruit capsules are lanceolate, slightly compressed, 17-25 x 3.5-7 cm (adapted from PIER, 2008).
Distribution
Top of pageIt is indigenous to Africa with a native range that extends along the west coast from <_st13a_country-region _w3a_st="on">Guinea to <_st13a_country-region _w3a_st="on">Angola, and inland across the tropical rainforest region to southern <_st13a_country-region _w3a_st="on">Sudan and <_st13a_country-region _w3a_st="on"><_st13a_place _w3a_st="on">Uganda, however, the exact limits are uncertain, and nativity in neighbouring countries is possible, or it is introduced in the extremes of this range. Several report (e.g. ICRAF, 2008) a more restricted native range to the west, only as far as <_st13a_country-region _w3a_st="on">Ghana, and stretching further at the eastern extreme to include <_st13a_country-region _w3a_st="on">Ethiopia to <_st13a_country-region _w3a_st="on"><_st13a_place _w3a_st="on">Zambia, and the broader range is accepted here.
Distribution Table
Top of pageThe distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.
History of Introduction and Spread
Top of pageS. campanulata has been successfully planted as an ornamental throughout the humid tropics, and its actual distribution is likely to be more widespread than indicated in this datasheet. Introduction to South Asia occurred at the end of the 1800s and other introductions may have been as old. It is now recorded as invasive in Hawaii, USA, and many other Pacific islands, also Australia, Singapore, Christmas Island and Reunion, and several Caribbean islands including the Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Risk of Introduction
Top of pageAs a popular ornamental tree it is highly likely to be further introduced intentionally, and to be spread nationally as planting stock. It is regulated in Queensland, Australia where it is a Declared Class 3 invasive weed (Biosecurity Queensland, 2007), and S. campanulata also received a high score in a Pacific islands weed risk assessment (PIER, 2008). Where present, areas most at risk include riversides, valleys and disturbed humid forest.
Habitat
Top of pageS. campanulata grows naturally in secondary forests in the high forest zone and in deciduous transition and savannah forests. In Pohnpei it favours wet areas (Englberger, 2009). It may also appear as a pioneer species in the native range, such as it being one of the species that naturally colonizes grasslands in Uganda. Where introduced, it invades both abandoned agricultural land and closed forest, and has become a weed in abandoned pasture sites in Puerto Rico where it may become dominant (Rivera and Aide, 1998), and is a weed in coffee plantations in Cuba (Herrera-Isla et al., 2002), and is highly invasive in Tahiti, French Polynesia in cloud forests up to 1300 m (PIER, 2008).
Habitat List
Top of page| Category | Sub-Category | Habitat | Presence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrestrial | ||||
| Terrestrial – Managed | Cultivated / agricultural land | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | |
| Managed forests, plantations and orchards | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | ||
| Managed grasslands (grazing systems) | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | ||
| Rail / roadsides | Present, no further details | Productive/non-natural | ||
| Urban / peri-urban areas | Present, no further details | Productive/non-natural | ||
| Terrestrial ‑ Natural / Semi-natural | Natural forests | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | |
| Natural forests | Present, no further details | Natural | ||
| Natural grasslands | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | ||
| Natural grasslands | Present, no further details | Natural | ||
| Riverbanks | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | ||
| Riverbanks | Present, no further details | Natural | ||
| Scrub / shrublands | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | ||
| Scrub / shrublands | Present, no further details | Natural | ||
| Littoral | ||||
| Coastal areas | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | ||
| Coastal areas | Present, no further details | Natural |
Biology and Ecology
Top of pageS. campanulata flowers and fruits during the dry season in some regions, for 5-6 months a year though, or in others it will flower all year round. It may begin flowering when 3-4 years old in favourable sites. It is an obligate outcrosser (Bittencourt et al., 2003). It also requires pollinators for pollen flow between conspecific trees, and flowers show a combination of bird and bat floral characteristics suggesting that the flowers are in transitional stage from bat- to bird-pollination though birds were the exclusive pollinators, receiving calyx water and nectar as rewards (Rangaiah et al., 2006). Bees also use the floral rewards but they tend to stay on the same tree day-long and effect self-pollination which is not functional in S. campanulata, and also, trigona bees die in the calyx water and/or nectar becoming a solid bee diet to visiting birds. PIER (2008) quote a personal communication from Jean-Yves Meyer, that “The African tulip tree didn't produce fruits (and their wind-dispersed seeds) in La Réunion for a long time...before the endemic Zosterops (a small songbird) started to visit and pollinate the flowers a few years ago. The African tulip tree is now starting to naturalize in La Réunion.” Natural fruit set is very low but it is compensated by large seed crop. The fruit is a capsule and dehisces naturally when mature, releasing small, light and winged seeds into the ambient air, dispersal taking place effectively by wind during dry season (Rangaiah et al., 2006). Also, a large numbers of the seeds are viable, and as the trees flowers year round in Cuba the chances for spread are very high (Diaz-Medina et al., 2004).
Assessment of seed germination showed that the highest percentages occurred under semi-shade and the lowest under full sunshine, and although an insect species attacks seedlings growing in full shade in Cuba, even under these conditions germination rates were high (Diaz-Medina et al., 2004).
S. campanulata is a tropical tree suited to humid conditions and grows well in areas with an even distribution of rainfall, though it will tolerate a dry season of up to six months. It grows on a wide variety of sites, from poorly to excessively drained, but prefers fertile, deep and well-drained loams.
Climate
Top of page| Climate | Status | Description | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| A - Tropical/Megathermal climate | Preferred | Average temp. of coolest month > 18°C, > 1500mm precipitation annually | |
| Af - Tropical rainforest climate | Preferred | > 60mm precipitation per month | |
| Am - Tropical monsoon climate | Preferred | Tropical monsoon climate ( < 60mm precipitation driest month but > (100 - [total annual precipitation(mm}/25])) | |
| As - Tropical savanna climate with dry summer | Preferred | < 60mm precipitation driest month (in summer) and < (100 - [total annual precipitation{mm}/25]) | |
| Aw - Tropical wet and dry savanna climate | Preferred | < 60mm precipitation driest month (in winter) and < (100 - [total annual precipitation{mm}/25]) |
Latitude/Altitude Ranges
Top of page| Latitude North (°N) | Latitude South (°S) | Altitude Lower (m) | Altitude Upper (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | -12 | 0 | 1200 |
Air Temperature
Top of page| Parameter | Lower limit | Upper limit |
|---|---|---|
| Absolute minimum temperature (ºC) | 5 | |
| Mean annual temperature (ºC) | 26 | 31 |
| Mean maximum temperature of hottest month (ºC) | 28 | 33 |
| Mean minimum temperature of coldest month (ºC) | 12 | 31 |
Rainfall
Top of page| Parameter | Lower limit | Upper limit | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry season duration | 0 | 6 | number of consecutive months with <40 mm rainfall |
| Mean annual rainfall | 1000 | 3600 | mm; lower/upper limits |
Soil Tolerances
Top of pageSoil drainage
- free
- impeded
Soil reaction
- acid
- alkaline
- neutral
Soil texture
- heavy
- light
- medium
Special soil tolerances
- infertile
- shallow
Notes on Natural Enemies
Top of pageS. campanulata is susceptible to a wide range of insect pests, and heart and butt-rot fungi. In Papua New Guinea, Bito (2007) observed that it was colonized by 54 folivorous species of Lepidoptera, most generalists feeding on more than one native plant family, though the three most abundant species represented 83% of all individuals (Acherontia lachesis, Hyblaea puera complex and Psilogramma menephron) were relatively host specific, and most of the 23 species analysed in detail had a wide geographic distribution, including 13 species spanning the entire 1000-km study transect (Bito, 2007).
Means of Movement and Dispersal
Top of pageS. campanulata is wind-dispersed, the light winged seeds being able to travel long distances if uninterrupted. This means that local spread can be rapid. However, long-distance introduction has been entirely intentional, as an ornamental tree, and once in a country it will have been planted widely for its aesthetic value.
Pathway Causes
Top of page| Cause | Notes | Long Distance | Local | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forestry | Yes | ICRAF, 2008 | ||
| Nursery trade | Yes | ICRAF, 2008 | ||
| Ornamental purposes | Yes | ICRAF, 2008 |
Impact Summary
Top of page| Category | Impact |
|---|---|
| Cultural/amenity | Positive |
| Economic/livelihood | Positive and negative |
| Environment (generally) | Positive and negative |
| Human health | Positive |
Economic Impact
Top of pageIt is a weed in coffee plantations in <_st13a_country-region _w3a_st="on"><_st13a_place _w3a_st="on">Cuba (Herrera-Isla et al., 2002), thus having a negative economic impact. As an important and valuable ornamental, however, it must have a positive impact in terms of sales.
Environmental Impact
Top of pageS. campanulata forms thickets which can shade and out-compete surrounding plants, including trees. It is spreading rapidly on many Pacific islands, where it invades disturbed areas, abandoned agricultural land and native forests (Englberger, 2009).
Risk and Impact Factors
Top of page Invasiveness- Proved invasive outside its native range
- Has a broad native range
- Abundant in its native range
- Pioneering in disturbed areas
- Tolerant of shade
- Highly mobile locally
- Long lived
- Fast growing
- Has high reproductive potential
- Reproduces asexually
- Ecosystem change/ habitat alteration
- Modification of successional patterns
- Monoculture formation
- Negatively impacts agriculture
- Threat to/ loss of native species
- Competition - monopolizing resources
- Competition - shading
- Rapid growth
- Highly likely to be transported internationally deliberately
- Difficult/costly to control
Uses
Top of pageIt can rehabilitate degraded land through its rapid growth. The wood is creamy-white, soft and light; it is suitable for rough carpentry, crates and shuttering. The seeds are used as food in <_st13a_place _w3a_st="on">Africa, and plant extracts are used in African traditional medicine. A poison used to kill animals is extracted from the hard central portion of the fruit. However, its main use is as an ornamental tree. However, it is sometimes not recommended as a street tree as the heavy branches have a tendency to break in wind and can pose a risk to those underneath. It has also limited value as a fodder.
Uses List
Top of pageAnimal feed, fodder, forage
- Fodder/animal feed
Environmental
- Agroforestry
- Amenity
- Boundary, barrier or support
- Revegetation
Fuels
- Fuelwood
General
- Ornamental
Materials
- Wood/timber
Medicinal, pharmaceutical
- Source of medicine/pharmaceutical
- Traditional/folklore
Wood Products
Top of pageContainers
- Crates
Sawn or hewn building timbers
- Carpentry/joinery (exterior/interior)
- For light construction
Wood-based materials
- Wood cement
Similarities to Other Species/Conditions
Top of pageThere are many red or bright-orange-flowered ornamental trees in the tropics and an unaccustomed observer may confuse it at first with species such as Kigelia africana, though the differences become clear with a little study.
Prevention and Control
Top of pagePhysical/mechanical control
Young S. campanulata trees can be dug out or hand pulled when the soil is moist (Biosecurity Queensland, 2007), though the ability to sucker from the roots means that all the root mass must be removed or they will regrow. This also means that physicial control is not feasible for controlling older trees.
Where S. campanulata is a weed in coffee plantations in Cuba, trees of various sizes were inoculated with Ceratocystis using a mechanical borer impregnated with mycelia and reproductive structures, and the smallest trees died first with fungal incubation periods of 22-33 days, and it was concluded that this method could be used for weed control (Herrera-Isla et al., 2002).
Due to their ability to sucker, stumps of felled trees need to be treated with herbicide, and registered herbicides in Queensland, Australia for controlling S. campanulata are triclopyr + picloram as a stump treatment, and triclopyr + picloram or glyphosate for stem injection (Biosecurity Queensland, 2007). S. campanulata is the subject of an eradication program in Palau incorporating chemical control (see PIER, 2008). For large trees, Englberger (2009) recommends cutting notches 2-2.5 cm deep into the cambium around the stem and spraying undiluted triclopyr or glyphosphate into these notches.
References
Top of pageAcevedo-Rodríguez P; Strong MT, 2012. Catalogue of the Seed Plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, 98:1192 pp. Washington DC, USA: Smithsonian Institution. http://botany.si.edu/Antilles/WestIndies/catalog.htm
Benthal AP, 1946. The Trees of Calcutta and its neighbourhood. Calcutta, India: Thacker Spink & Co. Ltd. 513 p.
CABI, 2005. Forestry Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CABI.
DAISIE, 2013. Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe. DAISIE (online). www.europe-aliens.org
Englberger K, 2009. Invasive weeds of Pohnpei: A guide for identification and public awareness. Kolonia, Federated States of Micronesia: Conservation Society of Pohnpei, 29 pp.
Govaerts R, 2013. World Checklist of Myrtaceae. London, UK: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Graveson R, 2012. The Plants of Saint Lucia (in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean). The Plants of Saint Lucia (in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean). http://www.saintlucianplants.com
I3N-Brasil, 2013. Invasive alien species database. Florianópolis - SC, Brazil: Horus Institute for Environmental Conservation and Development. http://i3n.institutohorus.org.br
PIER, 2013. Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk. Honolulu, Hawaii, USA: HEAR, University of Hawaii. http://www.hear.org/pier/index.html
Sanchez JM, 2001. Guía de las plantas ornamentals. Guía de las plantas utilizadas con fines ornamnetales en España ([English title not available])., Spain: Ediciones Mundi-Press, 685 pp.
Storer; Dorothy P, 1958. Familiar trees and cultivated plants of Jamaica. Institute of Jamaica, Kingston.
Streets RJ, 1962. Exotic forest trees in the British Commonwealth. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press.
Swarbrick JT; Hart R, 2001. Environmental weeds of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) and their management. Plant Protection Quarterly, 16:54-57.
Van Steenis CGGJ, 1977. Bignoniaceae. In: Flora Malesiana Vol. 8:185. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, The Hague.
White WC, 1951. Flowering trees of the Caribbean. Rinehart and Co. Inc., New York.
Contributors
Top of page24/07/13 Updated by:
Julissa Rojas-Sandoval, Department of Botany-Smithsonian NMNH, Washington DC, USA
Pedro Acevedo-Rodríguez, Department of Botany-Smithsonian NMNH, Washington DC, USA
29/02/2008 Updated by:
Nick Pasiecznik, Consultant, France
Distribution Maps
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