大花田菁 da hua tian jing

Robinia grandiflora Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 722. 1753; Resu­pinaria grandiflora (Linnaeus) Rafinesque.

Trees, 4-10 m tall, d.b.h. to 25 cm. Branches terete, leaf scars and stipule scars conspicuous. Stipules obliquely lanceo­late, to 8 mm, caducous. Leaves 20-40 cm, 20-60-foliolate; ra­chis terete, densely appressed pubescent when young, glabres­cent; petiolules 1-2 mm; stipels acerose; leaflet blades oblong, 2-5 × 0.8-1.6 cm, smaller at both ends of rachis than in middle, both surfaces with or without dense appressed purplish brown glands and appressed villous but glabrescent, secondary veins 7 or 8 on each side of midvein but inconspicuous, base rounded to broadly cuneate, apex obtuse to retuse and with a mucro. Ra­cemes 4-7 cm, pendulous, 2-4-flowered; bract and bracteoles ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 7-10 mm, caducous, both surfaces appressed pubescent. Flowers 7-10 cm, conspicuously falcately curved in bud. Pedicel 1-2 cm, densely appressed pilose. Calyx green, campanulate, 1.8-2.9 × 1.5-2 cm, sometimes with dots, often sub-bilabiate to subtruncate with adaxial 2 teeth connate, outside glabrous except for teeth apex, inside with appressed hairs. Corolla white, pink, or rosy; standard oblong-obovate to broadly ovate, 5-7.5 × 3.5-5 cm, reflexed at anthesis, callus absent, claw ca. 1.6 cm, base subcordate, apex retuse; wings fal­cately long ovate, asymmetric, ca. 5 × 2 cm, claw ca. 2 cm, apex obtuse; keel curved, ca. 5 cm, claw ca. 2 cm, limbs with basal abaxial edges connate, apical 1/4-1/3 free, apex obtuse. Stamens ca. 9 mm; anthers linear, 4-5 mm, dorsifixed. Pistil linear, ca. 8 cm, compressed, falcately curved, glabrous; ovary stipitate; stigma slightly turgid. Legume linear, slightly curved, nodding, 20-60 cm × 7-8 mm, ca. 8 mm thick, dehiscent, car­popodium ca. 5 cm, suture angulate at maturity, apex tapering into a 3-4 cm beak. Seeds reddish brown, ellipsoid to subreni­form, ca. 6 × 3-4 mm, slightly compressed, turgid, slightly glossy; hilum rounded, retuse. Fl. and fr. Sep-Apr. 2n = 24.

Cultivated in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan, and Yunnan [probably native to Indonesia and Malaysia].

This species is cultivated throughout the tropics. The flowers are large and beautiful, and the species is grown as an ornamental. The young leaves and flowers are edible, and the bark is used medicinally.