Indian Tulip Tree
ExplorarPlantas
Indian Tulip Tree
thespesia populnea
The Indian Tulip Tree (Thespesia populnea), also known as the Portia Tree or Pacific Rosewood, is a versatile, evergreen coastal tree beloved across tropical shores. Renowned for its beautiful, hibiscus-like yellow flowers that deepen to purple as they age, this resilient plant plays a vital role in coastal ecosystems. It thrives in salty, sandy environments where few other trees can survive, helping to stabilize shorelines and acting as a natural windbreak. In addition to its ecological benefits, the tree is deeply woven into human culture. Its dense, durable wood has historically been prized by Pacific islanders for carving canoes, bowls, and sacred objects, while every part of the tree, from its oil-rich seeds to its leaves and bark, has found a place in traditional medicine.
Hábitat: Found in tropical coastal strand environments, mangrove edges, sandy beaches, and estuarine shores.
Aspecto
Growing up to 10 to 12 meters tall, the Indian Tulip Tree features a broad, spreading crown densely packed with glossy, heart-shaped leaves that measure 5 to 15 cm long. Its most striking feature is its cup-shaped flowers, which emerge a bright primrose yellow with a dark red throat, only to fade to a dusky pink, orange-bronze, and finally purple by day's end. The fruit is a flattened, globose woody capsule about 3 cm wide containing small, fuzzy seeds.
ReinoPlantaeFiloTracheophytaClaseMagnoliopsidaOrdenMalvalesFamiliaMalvaceaeGéneroThespesia
Categoría
PlantasRareza
Common
Peligro
1/5 · Muy bajo
Snaps
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Datos interesantes
In Hawaii, the wood of this tree is known as 'milo' and was traditionally used by royalty to carve elegant food bowls because the wood does not impart a bad taste.
Its buoyant seed pods can float in highly saline ocean water for months without losing seed viability.
The flowers undergo a striking color change, blooming yellow in the morning and turning reddish-purple by evening.
Habilidades especiales
Habilidad
High Salt Tolerance
Possesses specialized physiological mechanisms to tolerate extreme salinity, allowing it to thrive when splashed by seawater.
Habilidad
Buoyant Seed Pods
Produces lightweight, air-filled seed capsules that float effortlessly on ocean currents, enabling long-distance oceanic dispersal.
Habilidad
Coastal Soil Stabilization
Develops an extensive, resilient root system that binds loose sandy soil and protects coastlines from heavy wave erosion.
Medidas y detalles
- Longitud
- 500-1500 cm
- Esperanza de vida
- 20-80 años
Dieta y alimentación
As a photoautotroph, this tree produces its own organic compounds using sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and essential nutrients absorbed from the soil.
Alimentos principales
- Sunlight
- Water
- Carbon Dioxide
- Soil Minerals
Conexiones ecológicas
host plant
Cotton Stainer Bug
Dysdercus cingulatus
Feeds on the seeds and sap of the tree, utilizing it as a primary host.
mutualism
Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
Visits the vibrant flowers to collect nectar and pollen, acting as an effective pollinator.
competitor
Red Mangrove
Rhizophora mangle
Competes for light, space, and root space along muddy, tropical estuarine shorelines.
Rasgos
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También conocido como
Todavía no hay alias listados.
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Seguridad
Peligro
1/5 · Muy bajo
Todavía no hay notas especiales de seguridad.
Preguntas frecuentes
¿Cómo identificar a Indian Tulip Tree?
La forma más fácil de identificar a Indian Tulip Tree es usar la aplicación de identificación de naturaleza Snappit.
¿Cuál es el longitud de Indian Tulip Tree?
500-1500 cm
¿Cuál es el esperanza de vida de Indian Tulip Tree?
20-80 años
¿Qué come Indian Tulip Tree?
As a photoautotroph, this tree produces its own organic compounds using sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and essential nutrients absorbed from the soil.
¿Dónde se encuentra normalmente Indian Tulip Tree?
Found in tropical coastal strand environments, mangrove edges, sandy beaches, and estuarine shores.
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