Erythrina acanthocarpa flower buds

Erythrina acanthocarpa flower buds merit a close look. The dense cluster seen here normally develops into a short raceme with every flower having a short petiole.

The green tubular calyx at the base of each flower is clearly displayed in the picture. The lowest flowers will open first.

The standard petal on the open flower is large and conspicuous, showing the yellow section normally seen at the flower tip; the greenish bit at the tip is still to develop or may not be evident in all forms of the plant. At this stage the standard petal completely envelops the rest of the flower, i.e. the wing and keel petals as well as the reproductive parts (Coates Palgrave, 2002).