Royal Poinciana Delonix Regia Seeds Delonix regia is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of flowers. In many tropical parts of the world it is grown as an ornamental tree and in English it is given the name Royal Poinciana or Flamboyant. It is also one of several trees known as Flame tree. This species was previously placed in the genus Poinciana, named for Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, the 17th century governor of Saint Christophe (Saint Kitts). It is a non nodulating legume. Description Royal poinciana (so named because it used to be in the genus, Poinciana) is a flamboyant tree in flower - some say the world's most colorful tree. For several weeks in spring and summer it is covered with exuberant clusters of flame-red flowers, 4-5 in (1.2-12.7 cm) across. Even up close the individual flowers are striking: they have four spoon shaped spreading scarlet or orange-red petals about 3 in (7.6 cm) long, and one upright slightly larger petal (the standard) which is marked with yellow and white. Royal poinciana gets 30-40 ft (9.1-12.2 m) tall, but its elegant wide-spreading umbrella-like canopy can be wider than its height. Royal poinciana is deciduous in climates that have a marked dry season, but in Florida and other areas where the winter is not that much dryer than the summer, it is a semi-evergreen tree. Even the leaves are elegant: they are lacy and fernlike, twice-pinnate, and 12-20 in (30.5-50.8 cm) long with 20-40 pairs of primary leaflets (pinnae), each divided into 10-20 pairs of secondary leaflets (pinules). The dark brown pods are flat and woody, up to 24 in (61 cm) long and 2 in (5.1 cm) wide. A naturally occurring variety (var. flavida) has golden-yellow flowers.