Large tree with a stout, tapering often somewhat buttressed trunk, branches thickish, marked with small white lenticels, subglabrous to thinly puberulent; leaves usually opposite (rarely 3 at a node), very widely diverging, up to 50 cm long, (7-) 11-15 (-17) leaflets broadly elliptic or ovate, entire, to 15 x 7.5 cm, with 7-8 principal veins on each side, puberulent and prominent beneath, apex very slightly acuminate, base somewhat asymmetrically obtuse, lower leaflets tending to be reflexed, petiolule short, 2-3 mm, rachis nearly straight, brownish-puberulent, petiole up to 6 cm long, thickened at base; raceme 8-10 cm long on a peduncle of about the same length, with a pair of reduced leaves about halfway up, rachis and pedicels thick, brownish puberulent, bracts subtending pedicels lanceolate, curved, about 1 cm long, caducous, pair of bractlets near summit of pedicel similar, opposite; calyx strongly curved upward, asymmetric, about 5 cm long, tapering, somewhat ribbed, splitting at anthesis to within a few mm of base along dorsal curve, apex horn-like, blunt, exterior brownish sericeous puberulent; corolla bright vermilion or scarlet, 10-12 cm long, mouth of limb about 7 cm across, lobes about 3 cm long, obtuse, margins strongly crispate, orange-yellow; filaments about 5 cm long, dull orange anthers arcuate, linear, very dark brown, 15 mm long; style yellow, 8 cm long, stigma reddish; capsule lanceolate, slightly compressed, 17-25 x 3.5-7 cm.

Antipyretic (bark, leaves and flowers)

PROTAbase: Spathodea campanulata

Extracts of bark, leaves and flowers are used to treat malaria, HIV, diabetes mellitus, oedema, dysentery, constipation, gastrointestinal disorders, ulcers, skin diseases, wounds, fever, urethral inflammation, liver complaints and as a poison antidote.