Bauhinia variegata L.

Family Description

Trees, shrubs or herbs, sometimes twinging or climbing. Leaves althernate, sometimes simple but usually with few to many leaflets arranged trifoliately, pinnately, bipinnately or digitately; stipules usually present. Flowers zygomorphic and bisexual, or actinomorphic and osmetimes polygamous; infloresence often terminal, axillary or supra axillary. Calyx campanulate or tubular, 5-toothed, the posterior pair of teeth often ± connate. Petals mostly 5 or sometimes fewer, free or some or all connate, equal or unequal. Stamens commonly 10, rarely only 3 or 7 fetile and fully developed sometimes numerous; filaments variously untied, rarely free. Ovary monocarpellate, superior, unilocular or sometimes falsely plurilocular, ovules one or more borne on posterior suture; style simple, filiform or capitate, al. Fryit a pod (legume), valves usually dry rarely fleshy, usually dehiscent along both sutures or breaking transversely into 1-seeded segments, or indehicent. Seeds often pea- or bean-like, rarely conspicuously arrilate.
Leaves evenly pinnate or bipinnate, sometimes simple or bilobed. Flowers ± zygomorphic, medium-sized to large and showy. Sepals often united at base forming a receptacular cup. Petals 5 or fewer, somewhat unequal, patent. Stamens usually 10, sometimes fewer, filaments usually free.

Genus Description

Trees or shrubs, erect or large tendrillar climbers, bisexual or dioecious. Leaves simple, usually bilobed at apex, palmately veined; stipules usually small, caducous. Flowers in axillary or terminal racemes or panicles. Sepals borne on margin of receptacular tube, free or ± united, calyx sometimes spathe- like.Petals 5, subequal, usually clawed at base. Fertile stamens 3, 5 or 10, staminodes sometimes present. Pods stalked, oblong, linear or elliptic, compressed, leathery or ± woody, dehiscent.

Species description

Similar to B. purpurea but leaves broadly ovate, 5-18x5-18cm, apex 1/5-1/3 bifid, lobes obtuse, base cordate, veins 9-11; racemes 1-3cm, flowers ± sessile, receptacular tube 2.5-3cm, buds ovoid, smooth; sepals 2-3cm; petals elliptic, 4-5 x 2.5-3cm, on claws 1.5cm, white or pink, posterior one purple; fertile stamens 5, 4.5-5cm, pods 15-20 x 2-3cm.