Facts about Pride of Burma

Amherstia nobilis, also called Pride of Burma, is a tree in the family Fabaceae (Leguminosae). It is also known as Pride of Burma. It is the only species in the genus Amherstia, and it is thought to be one of the most beautiful plants in the world. This tree is native to temperate Southeast Asia, especially the southern regions of Kayin and Taninthayi in Myanmar (Burma). This plant does not grow very often in the wild, though. The tree was first found in the forests of Myanmar, so its common name, “Pride of Burma,” comes from there. Queen of Flowering Trees, Orchid Tree, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, Noble Amherstia, Tree of Heaven, Burma Flower, and Shokrey are some of the other names for this tree.

The genus Amherstia is named after Countess Lady Sarah Amherst, who lived from 1762 to 1838 and collected plants, studied botany on her own, and was married to the Governor General of Bengal. The name “nobilis” for a species means “grand” or “noble.” The tree is famous for its gorgeous flowers, which are picked with long brushes and are thought to be some of the most beautiful in the world. During the dry season is when most of the flowers bloom. The noble amherstia is grown a lot in humid, tropical areas because it looks nice. Even though it is hard to find in the wild, it has been grown in gardens all over the tropics. This species doesn’t seem to make seeds that can grow into new plants. Instead, it grows mostly by sending out new shoots. People like this tree not only because its leaves are beautiful and hang down, but also because its flowers are a sight to behold.

Pride of Burma Facts

Plant Description

The Pride of Burma is a medium-sized tropical evergreen tree that grows between 30 and 50 feet tall when it is grown in a garden. But in some places, it doesn’t grow taller than 5 meters (15 feet), and no one knows why. The tree has a straight, thin trunk and a round crown with large, feathery leaves that can grow up to 3 feet long (1 meter). It is thought to be one of the most beautiful flowering trees in the world. Its flowers are especially beautiful, making it a good choice for gardens.

The Amherstia plant grows on calcareous soil in lowland monsoon teak forests. It grows best in humid, sunny or partly shaded places with moist, humus-rich, and fertile soil. Even though it is a common ornamental plant in the humid tropics, it is very rare in the wild and has only been taken from its natural habitat a few times. People sometimes eat the flowers and leaves of this tree. Because it is fragile and grows slowly, it is hard to grow, rarely produces seeds, and is not often found in gardens. On the other hand, it grows in tropical botanical gardens.

Leaves

This plant has compound leaves with 6–8 large leaflets that can grow up to 30–60 cm long. The stipules are shaped like lances and are about 2–4 cm long. The leaflets are oblong or ovate-oblong and are between 14 and 34 cm long and 5.5 and 8.5 cm wide. Near the end of the dry season, these new leaflets start to show up. When the young leaves first come out, they are soft and hang down. They are a pinkish-coppery color. As they get older, they turn green and leathery, and the inside is white.

Flowers

The tree has flowers that hang down in a long inflorescence at the end of a stalk that is between 50 and 75 cm long. At the end of the inflorescence, this is a bright crimson-red color; these big, pretty flowers hang down. Each cluster of flowers has between 20 and 26 flowers, and each flower has five petals. Two of the petals are very small, and the other three are different sizes. The petals are also bright red, with yellow tips on the two middle-sized petals. The largest petal is wide and shaped like a fan. The top edge is wavy, and a yellow triangle goes down from the lip of the flower. This tree blooms in the spring and summer, specifically between February and May.

Fruits

Usually, fertile flowers are followed by plants that can make fruits or flattened seedpods that look like bean pods. These seedpods are long and narrow and made of wood. They can be anywhere from 11 to 20 cm long and 4-5 cm wide, and they hold 4-6 seeds. The young pods are bright red and roughly in the shape of a scimitar. The woody shell opens up to let the seeds out. This plant can be grown from seeds or by putting them on top of each other in the air. However, there is no guarantee that it will produce fruit every year or that seeds will grow into healthy seedlings. The plant is very rare in the wild, and its natural habitat has only been seen a few times.

Pride of Burma: A Few Facts

• Amherstia nobilis is a tree that is also called the Pride of Burma or the Queen of Flowering Trees.
• It is named after Lady Amherst, who was the wife of a British governor of India.
• In Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka and Burma, it is often used as a flower offering.
• But because it is hard to grow and is overharvested, it is now considered nearly endangered.
• Even so, Amherstia nobilis is a great choice for parks and gardens because it can be used as a street tree, a small garden plant, or a shade tree.
• Its beautiful look makes it a great plant for a tropical garden, and its regal color adds elegance to any landscape.
• It can also be the center of attention in the garden, giving the area a touch of grandeur.
• Amherstia nobilis is a good choice if you want to plant trees along an avenue or in a garden.
• The Pride-of-Burma is also a great choice for a park shade tree in hot, humid tropical areas.

References:

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/346625-Amherstia-nobilis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amherstia

http://www.stuartxchange.com/PrideOfBurma

https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/264726

https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Amherstia+nobilis

http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Pride%20of%20Burma.html

https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/AHENO

https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/2/7/2708

https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Amherstia+nobilis

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