Catalpa

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Lamiales

Familia: Bignoniaceae
Tribus: Catalpeae
Genus: Catalpa
Sectiones: C. sect. Catalpa - C. sect. Macrocatalpa

Species: C. bignonioides – C. brevipes – C. bungei – C. longissima – C. macrocarpa – C. ovata – C. purpurea – C. speciosa

Source(s) of checklist: 

Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Catalpa in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2019 Apr. 28. Reference page. 

Name

Catalpa Scop., Intr. Hist. Nat. 170. Jan–Apr 1777.

Typus: Catalpa bignonioides Walter

Synonyms

Homotypic
Catalpium Raf., Princ. Somiol. 27 (1814).
Heterotypic
Cumbalu Adans., Fam. Pl. 2: 199 (1763).
Macrocatalpa (Griseb.) Britton, J. New York Bot. Gard. 19: 8 (1918).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Asia-Temperate
China
China South-Central, Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, China North-Central, Qinghai, China Southeast, Xinjiang.
Northern America
North-Central U.S.A.
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin.
Northeastern U.S.A.
Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia.
Southwestern U.S.A.
Utah.
South-Central U.S.A.
New Mexico, Texas.
Southeastern U.S.A.
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, District of Columbia.
Southern America
Caribbean
Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Scopoli, I.A. 1777. Introductio ad historiam naturalem sistens genera lapidum, plantarum, et animalium hactenus detecta, caracteribus essentialibus donata, in tribus divisa, subinde ad leges naturae. 540 pp. Apud Wolfgangum Gerle, Pragae [Prague]. BHL Reference page. 

Additional references

Li, J. 2008. Phylogeny of Catalpa (Bignoniaceae) inferred from sequences of chloroplast ndhF and nuclear ribosomal DNA. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 46(3): 341–348. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1002.2008.08025 Reference page. 

Links

Farr, E.R. & Zijlstra, G. (eds.) 1996 onwards. Catalpa in Index Nominum Genericorum (Plantarum). Accessed: 2010 Feb 15.
Hassler, M. 2019. Catalpa. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2019. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2019 Apr. 28. Reference page. 
Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Catalpa in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2019 Apr. 28. Reference page. 
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Catalpa. Published online. Accessed: Apr. 28 2019.
The Plant List 2013. Catalpa in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published online. Accessed: 2019 Apr. 28.
Tropicos.org 2019. Catalpa. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 28 Apr. 2019.

Vernacular names
azərbaycanca: Katalpa
беларуская: Катальпа
čeština: Katalpa
dansk: Trompetkrone
Deutsch: Trompetenbäume
Ελληνικά: Κατάλπα
suomi: Trumpettipuut
hornjoserbsce: Trubownik
magyar: Szivarfa
Ido: Katalpo
ქართული: კატალპა
lietuvių: Katalpa
кырык мары: Катальпа
Nederlands: Trompetboom
polski: Surmia
русский: Катальпа
svenska: Katalpasläktet
Türkçe: Katalpa
中文: 梓木

Catalpa, commonly called catalpa or catawba, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to warm temperate and subtropical regions of North America, the Caribbean, and East Asia.

Description

Most Catalpa are deciduous trees; they typically grow to 12–18 metres (40–60 ft) tall, with branches spreading to a diameter of about 6–12 metres (20–40 ft). They are fast growers and a 10-year-old sapling may stand about 6 metres (20 ft) tall. They have characteristic large, heart-shaped leaves, which in some species are three-lobed. The appearance of the leaves sometimes causes confusion with species such as the unrelated tung tree (Vernicia fordii) and Paulownia tomentosa. Catalpa species bear broad panicles of showy flowers, generally in summer. The flower colour generally is white to yellow. In late summer or autumn the fruit appear; they are siliques about 20–50 centimetres (8–20 in) long, full of small flat seeds, each with two thin wings to aid in wind dispersal.

The large leaves and dense foliage of Catalpa species provide good shelter from rain and wind, making the trees an attractive habitat for many species of birds. They do not present many threats of falling limbs, but the dark-brown fruit husks that they drop in late summer may be a nuisance.

Though Catalpa wood is quite soft, it is popular for turning and for furniture when well seasoned, being attractive, stable and easy to work.[1]

Most catalpas begin flowering after roughly three years, and produce fruit after about five years,[citation needed] although Haitian catalpa (Catalpa longissima) can flower after six months growth from seed and produce seed after 18 months.[2]
Species

The two North American species, Catalpa bignonioides (southern catalpa) and Catalpa speciosa (northern catalpa), have been widely planted outside their natural ranges as ornamental trees for their showy flowers and attractive shape. Northern and southern catalpas are very similar in appearance, but the northern species has slightly larger leaves, flowers, and bean pods. Flowering starts after 275 growing degree days. Catalpa ovata from China, with pale yellow flowers, is also planted outside its natural range for ornamental purposes. This allowed C. bignonioides and C. ovata to hybridize, with the resultant Catalpa × erubescens also becoming a cultivated ornamental.
List of selected species

Sources: (GRIN accepts 8 species)[3] (KEW accepts 8 species)[4]

Catalpa bignonioides Walter – southern catalpa
Catalpa brevipes Urb.
Catalpa bungei C.A.Mey. – Manchurian catalpa
Catalpa cassinoides Spreng.
Catalpa communis Dum.Cours.
Catalpa cordifolia Moench
Catalpa denticulata Urb.
Catalpa domingensis Urb.
Catalpa duclouxii Dode
Catalpa ekmaniana Urb.
Catalpa fargesii Bureau
Catalpa henryi Dode
Catalpa heterophylla Dode
Catalpa himalayensis Hort. ex Dippel
Catalpa hirsuta Spreng.
Catalpa kaempferi Siebold & Zucc.
Catalpa longisiliqua Cham.
Catalpa longissima (Jacq.) Dum.Cours. – Haitian catalpa
Catalpa macrocarpa Ekman
Catalpa microphylla Spreng.
Catalpa nana Hort. ex Dippel
Catalpa oblongata Urb. & Ekman
Catalpa obovata Urb.
Catalpa ovata G.Don – Chinese catalpa, yellow catalpa
Catalpa pottsii Seem.
Catalpa pubescens (Griseb.) Bisse
Catalpa pumila Hort. ex Wien.
Catalpa punctata Griseb.
Catalpa purpurea Griseb.
Catalpa silvestrii (Pamp. & Bonati) S.Y.Hu
Catalpa speciosa Warder ex Engelm. – northern catalpa
Catalpa sutchuensis Dode
Catalpa ternifolia Cav.
Catalpa thunbergii Hort. ex Wien.
Catalpa tibetica Forrest
Catalpa umbraculifera Hort.
Catalpa vestita Diels
Catalpa wallichiana Hort. ex Wien.

Etymology

The name derives from the Muscogee name for the tree, "kutuhlpa" meaning "winged head" and is unrelated to the name of the Catawba people.[5][6] The spellings "Catalpa" and "Catalpah" were used by Mark Catesby between 1729 and 1732, and Carl Linnaeus published the tree's name as Bignonia catalpa in 1753.[7][8] Giovanni Antonio Scopoli established the genus Catalpa in 1777.

The bean-like seed pod is the origin of the alternative vernacular names Indian bean tree and cigar tree for Catalpa bignonioides and Catalpa speciosa, respectively.
The catalpa tree in Reading, Berkshire, England
Food source

The tree is the sole source of food for the catalpa sphinx moth (Ceratomia catalpae), the leaves being eaten by the caterpillars. When caterpillars are numerous, infested trees may be completely defoliated. Defoliated catalpas produce new leaves readily, but with multiple generations occurring, new foliage may be consumed by subsequent broods. Severe defoliation over several consecutive years can cause death of trees. Because the caterpillars are an excellent live bait for fishing, some dedicated anglers plant catalpa mini-orchards for their own private source of "catawba-worms", particularly in the southern states.[9]
Autumn foliage
Other uses

Catalpa is also occasionally used as a tonewood in guitars.
References

Maroni, Kristi; Sarah Domville (2003-12-04). "Catalpa Tree". Tree Walk. Nazareth College of Rochester. Archived from the original on 2008-12-10. Retrieved 2009-04-30.
F. T. Bonner The Woody Plant Seed Manual, p. 345, at Google Books
"Species Records of Catalpa". Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Genetic Resources Program, Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). USDA. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
"Catalpa Scop. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
Gerard, William R. Plant names of Indian origin_II. Garden and Forest. volume 9, no. 436. page 262. (1896).[1]
Cassidy, Fred. Lemmatization—The case of "Catalpa". in McIntosh, Language Form and Linguistic Variation: Papers Dedicated to Angus McIntosh. Amsterdam : Benjamins, 1982. Current issues in linguistic theory, 15.
Catesby, Mark.The natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands. volume 1. page and plate 49. [2]
Linne, Carolus von Linne. Species Plantarum. 1st edition. 1753. volume 2. page 622 [3]
Hyche, L. L., "The Catalpa Sphinx" Department of Entomology Auburn University, http://www.ag.auburn.edu/enpl/bulletins/catalpasphinx/catalpasphinx.htm Retrieved on 2009, 05-16.