June 01/2007 National Geographic Image
Coral Display
Native to South America, Erythrina crista-galli, the cockspur coral tree, is considered a medicinal plant in Argentina, where it is used as a natural sedative and a disinfectant. Linnaeus placed this species in the Diadelphia class, based on the arrangement of the stamens in its flowers—nine bundled around a pistil and one standing alone.
