Bauhinia variegata

• Overview
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
• More Info
• Notes

Overview

Ornamental tree from India and China with two-lobed leaves and very showy flowers; used for food, medicine, and dye.

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Family Fabaceae

The Fabaceae are herbs, vines , shrubs , trees , and lianas found in both temperate and tropical areas. They comprise one of the largest families of flowering plants , numbering 630 genera and 18,000 species. The leaves are stipulate , nearly always alternate, and range from bipinnately or palmately compound to simple . The petiole base is commonly enlarged into a pulvinus that commonly functions in orientation of the leaves (sometimes very responsively, as in the sensitive plant, Mimosa pudica). The flowers are usually bisexual , actinomorphic to zygomorphic, slightly to strongly perigynous, and commonly in racemes , spikes, or heads . The perianth commonly consists of a calyx and corolla of 5 segments each. The androecium consists of commonly 1- many stamens (most commonly 10), distinct or variously united , sometimes some of them reduced to staminodes. The pistil is simple, often stipitate , comprising a single style and stigma, and a superior ovary with one locule containing 2-many marginal ovules. The fruit is usually a legume, sometimes a samara, loment, follicle, indehiscent pod, achene, drupe, or berry. The seeds often have a hard coat with hourglass-shaped cells , and sometimes bear a u-shaped line called a pleurogram. [Carr]

Subfamily Caesalpinioideae

Mostly trees or shrubs . Leaves mostly pinnate, sometimes bipinnate, rarely apparently simple . Corolla usually showy, zygomorphic, the petals imbricate, posterior (upper or banner ) petal innermost in bud. Stamens 10 or fewer, distinct , usually not showy, some commonly reduced to staminodes. Pollen released in monads . Seeds with u-shaped line (pleurogram) usually lacking. [Carr]

Genus Bauhinia

Trees , shrubs or climbers . Leaves alternate, simple , usually consisting of two lobes or almost bifoliolate with midrib between the two leaflets produced as a small spur. Flowers are showy, arranged in simple or panicled , terminal or axillary racemes . Hypanthium sometimes long and cylindrical, sometimes short and turbinate . Calyx entire or spathaceous , or cleft into two or five teeth. Petals 5, slightly unequal, narrowed at the base into a claw , variously coloured. Stamens 10, or reduced to 5 or there, filaments free or shortly connate , filiform , anthers versatile, Dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary seated on a stalk (gynophore ), ovules many, style long or short and usually curved , stigma capitate, fruit a linear pod, dehiscent or indehiscent.

A genus with c. 570 species, mostly distributed in tropics and warm temperate regions of both the hemispheres."Bauhinia". in Flora of Pakistan . Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Physical Description

Biology

Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Growth

Culture: Space 4-6' apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 5.6 • Maximum pH: 6.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 10a, 10b, 11. (map)

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Bauhinia chinensis (DC.)Vogel
2. Bauhinia decora Uribe
3. Bauhinia variegata L.
4. Bauhinia variegata var. candida (Aiton)Corner
5. Bauhinia variegata var. chinensis DC.
6. Phanera variegata (L.) Benth.
7. Phanera variegata (L.)Benth.

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: –

Place of publication : Sp. pl. 1:375. 1753

Name verified on 24-Nov-1987 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 23-Aug-1994

Similar Species

Members of the genus Bauhinia

There are approximately 697 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

B. acuminata · B. abyssinica · B. accrescens · B. acreana · B. aculeata (White Orchid Tree) · B. aculeata aculeata · B. aculeata grandiflora · B. aculeata subsp. grandiflora · B. acuminata (Bauhinia) · B. acuruana · B. acuruana var. acuruana · B. acuruana var. nitida · B. aherniana · B. aherniana var. aherniana · B. aherniana var. subglabra · B. aimouta · B. alata · B. altiscandens · B. amambayensis · B. amatlana · B. ampla · B. ampla var. ampla · B. ampla var. schlechteri · B. anamesa · B. anatomica · B. andersonii · B. andrieuxii · B. angularis · B. angulicaulis · B. angulosa · B. angulosa var. bahiana · B. angulosa var. densiflora · B. angulosa var. meridionalis · B. ankarafantsikae · B. anomala · B. apertilobata · B. arborea · B. argentinensis · B. argentinensis var. argentinensis · B. argentinensis var. megasiphon · B. armata · B. aromatica · B. articulata · B. augusti · B. augustii · B. aurantiaca · B. aurea · B. aureifolia (Gold Leaf Bauhinia) · B. aureopunctata · B. ayabacensis · B. bacuria · B. bahiachalensis · B. baina · B. bartlettii (Orchid Tree) · B. bassacensis (Bauhinia) · B. bassacensis var. backeri · B. bassacensis var. bassacensis · B. baueriana · B. bauhinioides · B. beguinotii · B. beguinotii var. beguinotii · B. beguinotii var. gorgonae · B. benthami · B. benzoin · B. bequaertii · B. bicolor · B. bidentata (Orange Bauhinia) · B. bidentata bicornuta · B. bidentata subsp. bicornuta · B. bidentata var. bidentata · B. bidentata var. breviflora · B. bidentata var. cornifolia · B. bidentata var. fraseri · B. bidentata var. gracilipes · B. bidentata var. monticola · B. binata · B. blackeana · B. blakeana (Hong Kong Orchid Tree) · B. bohniana · B. bombaciflora · B. bongardi · B. bowkeri · B. brachycalyx · B. brachycarpa · B. brachycarpa var. brachycarpa · B. brachycarpa var. cavaleriei · B. brachycarpa var. densiflora · B. brachycarpa var. microphylla · B. bracteata · B. bracteata astylosa · B. bracteata bracteata · B. bracteata subsp. astylosa · B. brasiliensis · B. brevicalyx · B. brevipedicellata · B. brevipes · B. bryoniflora · B. burbidgei · B. burchellii · B. burkeana

Bibliography

• Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1960–. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam. (F CambLVN)
• Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959–. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae. (F China)
• Druce,G.C. 1917 Bot.Soc. and Exch.Cl.Rept 1916,Suppl.2:601-653. Nom.notes.
• Dyer, R. A. et al., eds. 1963–. Flora of southern Africa. (F SAfr)
• Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage. (Zander ed13)
• Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984–. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim. (F Bhutan)
• Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12. (Weeds SAfr 2001)
• Howard, R. 1974–1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. (F LAnt) [cult.].
• Isely, D. 1975. Leguminosae of the United States: II. Subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25(2):30.
• Kala, C. P. et al. 2004. Prioritization of medicinal plants on the basis of available knowledge, existing practices and use value status in Uttaranchal, India. Biodivers. & Conserv. 13:459.
• Lewis, G. P. 1987. Legumes of Bahia. (Leg Bahia)
• Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. (Hortus 3)
• Matthew, K. M. 1983. The flora of the Tamilnadu Carnatic. (F TamilC)
• McVaugh, R. 1983–. Flora Novo-Galiciana. (F NGalicia)
• Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970–. Flora of [West] Pakistan. (F Pak)
• Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants. (Dict Rehm)
• Smith, A. C. 1979–1991. Flora vitiensis nova. (F Viti)
• Smitinand, T. & K. Larsen, eds. 1970–. Flora of Thailand. (F Thailand)
• Wit, H. C. D. de. 1956. A revision of the Malayan Bauhinieae. Reinwardtia 3:411.
• Wunderlin, R. P. et al. 1987. Reorganization of the Cercideae (Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae). Biol. Skr. 28:15.

More Info

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Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 5, 2007.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed December 22, 2006. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 5 providers.
• ILDIS World Database of Legumes
• ILDIS World Database of LegumesNov 10, 2005.
• MBLWHOI Library: Universal Biological Index and Organizer. uBio.org accessed July 17, 2008.
• Rico ML, 1994 (from ILDIS).
• Schrire BD, 1994-10 (from ILDIS World Database of Legumes).
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 26, 2008)

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 17, 2007:

• Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Virtual Herbarium Darwin Core format
• GBIF-Spain, Herbario Universidad de Málaga: MGC-Cormófitos
• Herbario SANT, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, SANT herbarium vascular plant collection
• Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
• National Herbarium of New South Wales, NSW herbarium collection
• USDA PLANTS, USDA PLANTS Database

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2650856
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ILD-496
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13624411
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:481756-1
• GRIN Nomen Number: 6602
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 26494
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PDFAB0J0Q0
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: BAVA
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 25017

Footnotes

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