Bauhinia

Bauhinia is a large genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Cercidoideae and tribe Bauhinieae, in the large flowering plant family Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution. The genus was named after the Bauhin brothers Gaspard and Johann, Swiss-French botanists.
Many species are widely planted in the tropics as orchid trees, particularly in India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Nepal and southeastern China. Other common names include mountain ebony and kachnar. Before the family was reorganised, a number of genera including the lianas of genus Phanera were placed here (see related genera).
In the United States, the trees grow in Hawaii, coastal California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. There are native species, like Bauhinia lunarioides native to Texas and widely planted in the Southwest as a landscape plant.
Parts of some species of bauhinia like B. purpurea and B. malabarica are used in Filipino cuisine (known collectively as alinbánban or alinbángbang, "butterfly").
Bauhinia × blakeana is the floral emblem of Hong Kong—a stylized orchid tree flower appears on the flag of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Airlines uses 'Bauhinia' as its radio callsign in air traffic communication.
Description
Bauhinia trees typically reach a height of 6–12 m and their branches spread 3–6 m outwards. The lobed leaves usually are 10–15 cm across.
The five-petaled flowers are 7.5–12.5 cm diameter, generally in shades of red, pink, purple, orange, or yellow, and are often fragrant. The tree begins flowering in late winter and often continues to flower into early summer. Depending on the species, Bauhinia flowers are usually in magenta, mauve, pink or white hues with crimson highlights.
Cultivation
Propagation of Bauhinia species is from seeds or cuttings. They thrive in alkaline soils and do not tolerate salty conditions. Full sun exposure is preferred but they can be grown under partial sun. Generous watering is needed during summer; moderate moisture required in winter.
Species
Accepted species
Plants of the World Online currently (March 2023) includes the following species:
Bauhinia acreana Harms
Bauhinia aculeata L.
Bauhinia acuminata L.
Bauhinia acuruana Moric.
Bauhinia affinis Vogel
Bauhinia albicans Vogel
Bauhinia amambayensis Fortunato
Bauhinia amatlana Wunderlin
Bauhinia andrade-limae
Bauhinia andrieuxii Hemsl.
Bauhinia ankarafantsikae Du Puy & R.Rabev.
Bauhinia anomala Hassl.
Bauhinia arborea Wunderlin
Bauhinia argentinensis Burkart
Bauhinia arleneae
Bauhinia augusti Harms
Bauhinia aurantiaca Bojer
Bauhinia aureopunctata Ducke
Bauhinia ayabacensis Wunderlin
Bauhinia bartlettii B.L.Turner
Bauhinia bauhinioides (Mart.) J.F.Macbr.
Bauhinia beguinotii Cufod.
Bauhinia bicolor (Bong.) D.Dietr.
Bauhinia bohniana H.Y.Chen
Bauhinia bombaciflora Ducke
Bauhinia bowkeri Harv.
Bauhinia brachycalyx Ducke
Bauhinia brachycarpa Wall. ex Benth.
Bauhinia brevicalyx Du Puy & R.Rabev.
Bauhinia brevipes Vogel
Bauhinia bryoniflora Franch.
Bauhinia burchellii Benth.
Bauhinia burrowsii E.J.D.Schmidt
Bauhinia buscalionii Mattei
Bauhinia calliandroides Rusby
Bauhinia caloneura Malme
Bauhinia calycina Pierre ex Gagnep.
Bauhinia campestris Malme
Bauhinia candelabriformis R.S.Cowan
Bauhinia capuronii Du Puy & R.Rabev.
Bauhinia catingae Harms
Bauhinia chapulhuacania Wunderlin
Bauhinia cheilantha (Bong.) Steud.
Bauhinia cinnamomea DC.
Bauhinia coclensis R.Torres
Bauhinia conceptionis Britton & Killip
Bauhinia concinna Drake
Bauhinia conwayi Rusby
Bauhinia cookii Rose
Bauhinia corifolia L.P.Queiroz
Bauhinia corniculata Benth.
Bauhinia coulteri J.F.Macbr.
Bauhinia crocea Drake
Bauhinia cupulata Benth.
Bauhinia curvula Benth.
Bauhinia darainensis Thulin & Nusb.
Bauhinia decandra Du Puy & R.Rabev.
Bauhinia decora L.Uribe
Bauhinia deserti (Britton & Rose) Lundell
Bauhinia dimorphophylla Hoehne
Bauhinia dipetala Hemsl.
Bauhinia diptera Blume ex Miq.
Bauhinia divaricata L.
Bauhinia dubia G.Don
Bauhinia dumosa Benth.
Bauhinia eilertsii Pulle
Bauhinia ellenbeckii Harms
Bauhinia erythrocalyx Wunderlin
Bauhinia esmeraldasensis Wunderlin
Bauhinia estrellensis Hassl.
Bauhinia eucosma S.F.Blake
Bauhinia euryantha H.Y.Chen
Bauhinia exellii Torre & Hillc.
Bauhinia eximia Miq.
Bauhinia farec Desv.
Bauhinia flagelliflora Wunderlin
Bauhinia floribunda Desv.
Bauhinia forficata Link
Bauhinia fryxellii Wunderlin
Bauhinia funchiana Vaz & G.P.Lewis
Bauhinia fusconervis (Bong.) Steud.
Bauhinia galpinii N.E.Br.
Bauhinia gardneri Benth.
Bauhinia geniculata Wunderlin
Bauhinia gilesii F.Muell. & F.M.Bailey
Bauhinia glaziovii Taub.
Bauhinia godefroyi Gagnep.
Bauhinia goyazensis Harms
Bauhinia grandidieri Baill.
Bauhinia grandifolia (Bong.) D.Dietr.
Bauhinia grevei Drake
Bauhinia gypsicola McVaugh
Bauhinia hagenbeckii Harms
Bauhinia hainanensis Merr. & Chun ex H.Y.Chen
Bauhinia haughtii Wunderlin
Bauhinia hildebrandtii Vatke
Bauhinia hirsuta Weinm.
Bauhinia holophylla (Bong.) Steud.
Bauhinia hostmanniana Miq.
Bauhinia humilis Rusby
Bauhinia integerrima Mart. ex Benth.
Bauhinia involucrans Gagnep.
Bauhinia isopetala Griff.
Bauhinia jenningsii P.Wilson
Bauhinia jucunda Brandegee
Bauhinia kalantha Harms
Bauhinia kleiniana Burkart
Bauhinia leptantha Malme
Bauhinia leucantha Thulin
Bauhinia longicuspis Spruce ex Benth.
Bauhinia longifolia (Bong.) Steud.
Bauhinia longipedicellata Ducke
Bauhinia longiracemosa Hayata
Bauhinia lorantha Pierre ex Gagnep.
Bauhinia lunarioides A.Gray ex S.Watson
Bauhinia macrantha Oliv.
Bauhinia macranthera Benth. ex Hemsl.
Bauhinia madagascariensis Desv.
Bauhinia malacotricha Harms
Bauhinia malacotrichoides R.S.Cowan
Bauhinia malmeana Vaz & G.P.Lewis
Bauhinia marginata (Bong.) Steud.
Bauhinia melastomatoidea R.Torres
Bauhinia membranacea Benth.
Bauhinia mendoncae Torre & Hillc.
Bauhinia miriamae R.Torres
Bauhinia mollis (Bong.) D.Dietr.
Bauhinia mombassae Vatke
Bauhinia monandra Kurz
Bauhinia moningerae Merr.
Bauhinia morondavensis Du Puy & R.Rabev.
Bauhinia multinervia (Kunth) DC.
Bauhinia natalensis Oliv.
Bauhinia ombrophila Du Puy & R.Rabev.
Bauhinia ovata (Bong.) Vogel
Bauhinia oxysepala Gagnep.
Bauhinia pansamalana Donn.Sm.
Bauhinia parkinsonii C.E.C.Fisch.
Bauhinia parviloba Ducke
Bauhinia pauletia Pers.
Bauhinia pentandra (Bong.) Vogel ex D.Dietr.
Bauhinia pervilleana Baill.
Bauhinia pes-caprae Cav.
Bauhinia petersiana Bolle
Bauhinia petiolata (Mutis ex DC.) Triana ex Hook.
Bauhinia phoenicea B.Heyne ex Wight & Arn.
Bauhinia pichinchensis Wunderlin
Bauhinia picta (Kunth) DC.
Bauhinia pinheiroi Wunderlin
Bauhinia pinnata Blanco
Bauhinia piresii Vaz & G.P.Lewis
Bauhinia platypetala Burch. ex Benth.
Bauhinia platyphylla Benth.
Bauhinia podopetala Baker
Bauhinia pottsii G.Don
Bauhinia prainiana Craib
Bauhinia pringlei S.Watson
Bauhinia proboscidea P.Juárez, Rod.Flores & M.A.Blanco
Bauhinia pulchella Benth.
Bauhinia purpurea L.
Bauhinia racemosa Lam.
Bauhinia ramirezii Reynoso
Bauhinia ramosissima Benth. ex Hemsl.
Bauhinia retifolia Standl.
Bauhinia richardiana DC.
Bauhinia rubeleruziana Donn.Sm.
Bauhinia rufa (Bong.) Steud.
Bauhinia rufescens Lam.
Bauhinia saccocalyx Pierre
Bauhinia saksuwaniae Mattapha, Chantar. & Suddee
Bauhinia seleriana Harms
Bauhinia seminarioi Harms ex Eggers
Bauhinia smilacifolia Burch. ex Benth.
Bauhinia stenantha Diels
Bauhinia subclavata Benth.
Bauhinia subrotundifolia Cav.
Bauhinia taitensis Taub.
Bauhinia tarapotensis Benth.
Bauhinia tenella Benth.
Bauhinia thailandica Chatan & Promprom
Bauhinia thompsonii I.M.Johnst.
Bauhinia tomentosa L.
Bauhinia tuichiensis Cayola & A.Fuentes
Bauhinia uberlandiana Vaz & G.P.Lewis
Bauhinia ungulata L.
Bauhinia urbaniana Schinz
Bauhinia uruguayensis Benth.
Bauhinia variegata L.
Bauhinia vespertilio S.Moore
Bauhinia viridescens Desv.
Bauhinia weberbaueri Harms
Bauhinia wunderlinii R.Torres
Bauhinia xerophyta Du Puy & R.Rabev.
Hybrids
One hybrid is known:
Bauhinia × blakeana S. T. Dunn (Bauhinia variegata × Bauhinia purpurea)—Hong Kong orchid tree
Fossils
Several fossils of Bauhinia species have been discovered:
†Bauhinia cheniae Qi Wang, Z. Q. Song, Y. F. Chen, S. Shen & Z. Y. Li
†Bauhinia cretacea Newberry
†Bauhinia fotana F.M.B. Jacques et al.
†Bauhinia gigantea Newberry
†Bauhinia gracilis J.R. Tao
†Bauhinia larsenii D.X. Zhang & Y. F. Chen
†Bauhinia ningmingensis Qi Wang, Z. Q. Song, Y. F. Chen, S. Shen & Z. Y. Li
†Bauhinia potosiana Berry
†Bauhinia thonningii Schum.
†Bauhinia ungulatoides Y.X.Lin, W.O.Wong, G.L.Shi, S.Shen & Z.Y.Li
†Bauhinia wenshanensis H.H. Meng & Z.K. Zhou
†Bauhinia wyomingiana Brown
Segregated genera
Species in the genera Barklya, Gigasiphon, Lysiphyllum, Phanera (including Lasiobema), Piliostigma, Schnella, and Tylosema are sometimes included in Bauhinia sensu lato or considered as tribe Bauhinieae.
References
External links
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Pantropical flora
Fabaceae genera