Tabebuia rosea

 ( Rosea ) 

Tabebuia rosea, also called pink poui, Sakura Malaysia and rosy trumpet tree, is a neotropical tree that grows up to and can reach a diameter at breast height of up to . The Spanish name roble de sabana, meaning "savannah oak", is widely used in Costa Rica, probably because it often remains in heavily deforested areas and because of the resemblance of its wood to that of oak trees.Hernan Rodriguez Navas. 2007. La Utilidad de las Plantas Medicinales en Costa Rica. EUNA, Heredia, Costa Rica. 213pp. It is the national tree of El Salvador, where it is called maquilíshuat /ref>

Even though Tecoma are not originally native to Malaysia, they have adapted extremely well to the Southeast Asia climate, especially in Malaysia. Over time, they have become a familiar and iconic seasonal sight in many Malaysian towns and cities. Because of their stunning pink blooms that resemble cherry blossoms, they are locally known as “Tabebuia rosea”

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Distribution and habitat This species is distributed from southern Mexico to Venezuela and Ecuador. It has been found growing from sea level to , in temperatures ranging from 20 °C to 30 °C on average, with annual rainfall above 500 mm, and on soils with very variable pH.

This tree is often seen in cities, where it is often planted in parks and gardens. In the rainy season it offers shade and, in the dry season, abundant flowers are present on the defoliated trees.

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Description The tree is short, with irregular, stratified ramification and only a few, thick branches. The bark can be gray to brown, in varying darkness and may be vertically fissured. Leaf are compound, Leaf shape and deciduous. Each leaf has five leaflets of variable size, the middle one being the largest. Flowering occurs mainly in January and February, and is generally associated with dry periods; although flowering has also been observed in August, September, April and May. Flowers are large, in various tones of pink to purple, and appear while the tree has few or no leaves. Pollination occurs probably by insects, although the flowers are visited by many birds such as , and orioles. The long and slender fruit capsules can measure up to and appear from February through April. After the drying fruit dehisces, the anemochorous, hyaline-membrane-winged seeds are released. There are an average of 45,000 seeds per kg with up to 13% water content. Germination of seeds is extremely easy and efficient, reaching almost 100%. It is a fairly fast growing tree.

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Medicinal uses Preparations of the bark of the tree are consumed to eliminate intestinal parasites, malaria and uterine cancer. A decoction of the bark is recommended for anemia and constipation. A decoction of the flowers, leaves and roots has been used to reduce fevers and pain, cause sweating, to treat tonsil inflammation and various other disorders.

Among the various active phytochemicals in the tree is lapachol, a natural organic compound isolated from various other Tabebuia species.Record, Samuel J. Lapachol. Tropical Woods (1925), 1 7-9. Chemically, it is a derivative of naphthoquinone, related to vitamin K.

Once studied as a possible treatment for some types of cancer, lapachol's potential is now considered low due to its toxic side effects.Oral toxicology studies with lapachol. Morrison, Robert K.; Brown, Donald Emerson; Oleson, Jerome J.; Cooney, David A. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology (1970), 17(1), 1-11. Lapachol also has antimalarial and antitrypanosomal effects.Gupta, M. 1995. 270 Plantas Medicinales Iberoamericanas. Santa Fe de Bogota. Convenio Andres Bello.

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External links

• INBio−Atta: Tabebuia rosea
• RNGR.net: Tropical Tree Seed Manual − Tabebuia rosea

Categories: Rosea, Trees Of Northern America, Trees Of Belize, Trees Of Costa Rica, Trees Of El Salvador, Trees Of Guatemala, Trees Of Honduras, Trees Of Nicaragua, Trees Of Panama, Trees Of Venezuela, Trees Of Colombia, Trees Of Ecuador, Garden Plants Of North America, Garden Plants Of South America, Least Concern Flora Of Central America, Least Concern Flora Of Mexico, Least Concern Flora Of South America, National Symbols Of El Salvador, Taxa Named By Augustin Pyramus De Candolle

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