The worldwide high consumption of food additives has encouraged to perform research on new species producers of gums or hydrocolloids that can compete with those that are traditionally used, such as flamboyant (Delonix regia) seed gum, a species considered underutilized and of ornamental type. Flamboyant tree seeds were used to obtain a native gum (flamboyant gum (FNG)), which was modified by carboxymethylation (CFG), this reaction was confirmed using Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and colorimetric titration. Swelling index and dispersion were evaluated in a range of 30-90 8C. The apparent viscosity (m) was evaluated with a rheometer. Compression strength of the gel (CSG) was measured with a texture analyzer and calorimetric profile with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The CFG had a degree of substitution of 0.33 and the FTIR analysis indicated the presence of carboxy-ether groups in the CFG. The modification of the FNG increased dispersion by 66%. Both gums exhibited shear-thinning behaviors although carboxymethylation caused a decrease in viscosity. The DSC showed a state crystalline in the FNG and a state amorphous in the CFG. The modification of the FNG favored hydrogen bridge interactions with water but decreased intra-catenary interactions in the polysaccharide.Keywords: carboxymethylation; Delonix regia; flamboyant; seed gum; functional properties El alto consumo de aditivos alimentarios a nivel mundial incentiva la investigacio´n de nuevas especies productoras de gomas o hidrocoloides que puedan competir con aque´llas usadas tradicionalmente, tal es el caso de la goma de la semilla de flamboya´n (Delonix regia), especie subutilizada y considerada de tipo ornamental. Las semillas de flamboya´n fueron usadas para obtener goma nativa (FNG), la cual fue modificada por carboximetilacio´n (CFG), esta reaccio´n se confirmo´usando espectroscopia de infrarrojo con transformada de Fourier (FTIR) y titulacio´n colorime´trica. El ı´ndice de hinchamiento y la dispersio´n en agua fueron evaluados de 30 a 90 8C. La viscosidad aparente (m) fue evaluada con reo´metro. La fuerza de compresio´n del gel (CSG) fue medida con un analizador de textura y el perfil calorime´trico con un calorı´metro diferencial de barrido (DSC). La CFG tuvo un grado de sustitucio´n de 0,33. La modificacio´n de la FNG incremento´la solubilidad en un 66%. Ambas gomas tuvieron un comportamiento reofluidizante. La carboximetilacio´n ocasiono un decremento de la m. El DSC mostro´un estado cristalino en la FNG y amorfo en la CFG. La modificacio´n de la FNG favorecio´las interacciones puentes de hidro´geno con el agua pero disminuyo´las interacciones intracatenarias en el polisaca´rido.