Tabebuia rosea
{{Short description|Species of tree}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Roblemorado.jpg
|genus = Tabebuia
|species = rosea
|authority = DC.
|synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets=true
|Bignonia fluviatilis G.Mey. nom. illeg.
|Couralia rosea (Bertol.) Donn.Sm.
|Sparattosperma roseum (Bertol.) Miers
|Tabebuia mexicana (Mart. ex DC.) Hemsl.
|Tabebuia punctatissima (Kraenzl.) Standl.
|Tecoma mexicana Mart. ex DC.
|Tecoma punctatissima Kraenzl.
|Tecoma rosea Bertol.
}}
}}
Tabebuia rosea, also called pink poui, and rosy trumpet tree{{GRIN | accessdate=15 September 2015 }} is a neotropical tree that grows up to {{cvt|30|m|ft|0}} and can reach a diameter at breast height of up to {{cvt|100|cm|ft|0}}. 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.
Distribution and habitat
This species is distributed from southern Mexico, to Venezuela and Ecuador. It has been found growing from sealevel to {{cvt|1200|m|ft}}, 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 Neotropical cities, where it is often planted in parks and gardens. In the rainy season it offers shade{{Original research inline|date=August 2011}} and, in the dry season, abundant flowers are present on the defoliated trees.
Description
The tree is short, with irregular, stratified ramification and only few thick branches. The bark can be gray to brown, in varying darkness and may be vertically fissured. Leaves are compound, digitate 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 tanagers, hummingbirds and orioles. The long and slender fruit capsules can measure up to {{cvt|35|cm|in|0}} 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{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}.
{{Gallery
|Roble Sabana (Tabebuia rosea).jpg|Tree in bloom
|紅花風鈴木 20190217173304.jpg|Inflorescence
|TabebuiaRoseaSeedsAndPod (cropped).jpg|A pod and its winged seeds
}}
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.{{cite journal |vauthors=Felício AC, Chang CV, Brandão MA, Peters VM, Guerra Mde O |title=Fetal growth in rats treated with lapachol |journal=Contraception |volume=66 |issue=4 |pages=289–93 |date=October 2002 |pmid=12413627 |doi=10.1016/S0010-7824(02)00356-6 }}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.{{cite journal |vauthors=Guerra Mde O, Mazoni AS, Brandão MA, Peters VM |title=Toxicology of Lapachol in rats: embryolethality |journal=Brazilian Journal of Biology |volume=61 |issue=1 |pages=171–4 |date=February 2001 |pmid=11340475 |doi=10.1590/s0034-71082001000100021 |doi-access=free }}{{cite journal |vauthors=((de Cássia da Silveira E Sá R)), ((de Oliveira Guerra M)) |title=Reproductive toxicity of lapachol in adult male Wistar rats submitted to short-term treatment |journal=Phytotherapy Research |volume=21 |issue=7 |pages=658–62 |date=July 2007 |pmid=17421057 |doi=10.1002/ptr.2141 }} Lapachol also has antimalarial and antitrypanosomal effects.Gupta, M. 1995. 270 Plantas Medicinales Iberoamericanas. Santa Fe de Bogota. Convenio Andres Bello.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060228095029/http://darnis.inbio.ac.cr/ubis/FMPro?-DB=UBIpub.fp3&-lay=WebAll&-error=norec.html&-Format=detail.html&-Op=eq&id=175&-Find INBio−Atta: Tabebuia rosea]
- [http://www.rngr.net/Publications/ttsm/Folder.2003-07-11.4726/PDF.2004-03-16.4640/file RNGR.net: Tropical Tree Seed Manual − Tabebuia rosea]
{{National Symbols of El Salvador}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q3695281}}
Category:Trees of Northern America
Category:Garden plants of North America
Category:Garden plants of South America
Category:Least concern flora of North America
Category:Least concern biota of Mexico
Category:Least concern biota of South America