What is "roseodendron"

Roseodendron is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae. It consists of two species, Roseodendron donnell-smithii and Roseodendron chryseum. The type species for the genus is R. donnell-smithii. Both species are cultivated as ornamentals for their numerous, large, yellow flowers.

Roseodendron donnell-smithii is known colloquially as primavera. It is the larger and more frequently planted of the two species. Its wood is sometimes used to make furniture. It is native to Central America and southern Mexico, but is grown thruout the tropics.

Roseodendron chryseum is endemic to the dry forests of northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. It is known as araguaney, a name that also applies to Handroanthus chrysanthus. It differs from R. donnell-smithii in its smaller stature, smaller fruit, and more compact inflorescence. The inflorescence is a panicle, but appears racemose because of the short lateral branches and pedicels.

Both species have been placed in Cybistax and in Tabebuia, and they were thought to be closely related to Handroanthus. In 2007, a molecular phylogenetic study showed that Roseodendron is not closer to Tabebuia than Ekmanianthe, not closer to Cybistax than are Godmania and Zeyheria, and not closer to Handroanthus than are Spirotecoma, Parmentiera, Crescentia, and Amphitecna. The authors recommended that Roseodendron be resurrected from Tabebuia, under which most authors of that time had synonymized it.