Botany
A flowering medium-sized tree, growing to a height of 5-8 meters.. The trunk is woody with irregular spiny branches. Leaves have three leaflets, smooth, alternate, up to 6 cm long. Leaflets are dark green, elliptic, acute with entire margins. Flowers are papilionate, petals 5 cm long, separate stamens about 1 cm long. Fruits are woody, elongated, cylindrical, up to 3 cm long.

Distribution
Native to South America.
Grown in Baguio gardens.

Properties and constituents
Contains an alkaloid with powerful narcotic and purgative effects.
Contains mellein, nectriapyrone, 4-hydroxymellein, scyoalone, tyrosol, clavatol, mevinic acid, and mevalonolactone.

Parts utilized
Bark, root.

Uses
In the Philippines, not known for any medicinal use.
OTHER COUNTRIES
• Japan: Phomol, a new antiinflammatory metabolite from an endophyte of the Erythrina crista-galli. Science Links Japan: <http://sciencelinks.jp/>
» Brazil: Analgesic properties of extracts and fractions from Erythrina crista-galli (Fabaceae) leaves
The present study describes the analgesic activity of extracts and some fractions obtained from Erythrina crista-galli leaves in different in vivo
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a780476684~db=all~jumptype=rss
• Several Erythrina species are used by indigenous tribes in Brazil as insecticides, fish poison, medicine, and sleep aid.
• In Argentinean enthopharmacology used as antiinflammatory medication, narcotic, disinfectant, and for treatment of wounds. CAB Abstracts.

Availability
Wildcrafted.