Trees, up to 20 m tall. Bark dark brown. Branches with obvious, black, straight and minute prickles; core pulpy. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, usually clustered at branch tip; stipules lanceolate, deciduous; petiole 10-15 cm, usually without prickles; leaflets broadly ovate or rhomboid-ovate, 15-30 × 15-30 cm, membranous, both surfaces glabrous, basal veins 3, lat­eral veins 5 pairs, base broadly cuneate or truncate, margin en­tire, apex acuminate to obtuse; base of leaflet with a pair of glands similar to stipules. Raceme terminal, 10-16 cm; pe­duncle robust, woody, 7-10 cm, pubescent; flowers paired. Ca­lyx spathelike, 2-3 cm, mouth oblique, split on one side. Co­rolla red, 6-7 cm; standard elliptic, 5-6 × ca. 2.5 cm, apex obtuse, shortly clawed; wings and keels subequal; keel petals separate. Ovary micro-villous; style glabrous. Legume black, reniform, ca. 1.5 × 1 cm. Seeds puniceous, oblong or oblong-ellipsoid. Fl. Feb-May, fr. Apr-Aug. 2n = 42.
Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan [Bangladesh, Cam­bodia, India, Indonesia, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Laos, Malaysia, Myan­mar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Australia, Pacific islands; introduced to Africa and Central and South America].
Erythrina variegata is used as an ornamental and for timber and medicine.