This tree reaches an average height of about 8 meters, but can reach 12 m. Its foliage is dense and widespread in areas with marked dry seasons loses its leaves, however, less stringent conditions is evergreen.

The flowers are large, with four petals up to 8 cm in length and a fifth petal called standard, which is longer and stained yellow and white; a natural variety of Delonix regia call flavida has yellow flowers. Ripe pods are woody, dark brown, 60 cm long and 5 cm wide. The seeds are small and weigh about 0.4 g. The leaves are of 30 to 50 cm long, each with 20 to 40 pairs of primary leaflets compounds, also called pinnate and each of these is in turn divided into 10 to 20 pairs of secondary leaflets. Distribution and habitat

It is native to the dry deciduous forest of Madagascar, where it is endangered. However, like their cultivated and naturalized extend various parts of the world: in the United States is only in Florida, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Hawaii. It also occurs in Mexico, Central America, Cuba, Dominican Republic and other Caribbean; and in Venezuela, Colombia, Peru coastal zone, Paraguay, Brazil and northeastern Argentina. At the same time, is very common in the Canary Islands and India and has naturalized in many parts of Australia. It is considered an invasive species because its dense and ample shade prevents the growth of other plants around it. Requires tropical climate or tropical like to survive, although it can tolerate drought and salinity. uses

Natural Caribbean used mature pods and seeds all as percussion instruments known as shak-shak or maraca. They are also used as cattle feed in parts of Colombia. In addition to its ornamental use in streets and public spaces, is used as a shade tree because its foliage spreads widely. Basque immigrants introduced it in Argentina where it is known as a snitch and the Basque Country, its branches are used for fencing the goats and so these branches is called as "chivatas". properties