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Definition of spathodea
spathodea
/spəˈθoʊdiə/
spa · tho · de · a
Plural:spathodeas
spathodea Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
11
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A genus of flowering trees in the bignonia family containing a single species, Spathodea campanulata (commonly known as the African tulip tree), native to tropical dry forests of Africa and noted for its striking, bell-shaped reddish-orange flowers.
Example
"The landscaping committee decided to plant a spathodea in the botanical garden to showcase its brilliant, fiery orange blooms."
• Rhymes for spathodea
Word Origin & Etymology
From New Latin Spathodea, coined in 1787 by botanist Palisot de Beauvois from ancient Greek 'spathē' (spathe, blade) and the suffix '-ōdēs' (resembling), referring to the tree's distinctive spathe-like calyx.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Spathodea. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 13, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/spathodea