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Bauhinia

Genus of flowering plants

  • 5 min read
  • 3 chapters

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Many species are widely planted in the tropics as orchid trees, particularly in India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Nepal and south-eastern 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 that are 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. Hong Kong Airlines (formerly CR Airways) also uses 'Bauhinia' as its radio callsign in air traffic communication, which appears in its logo.

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.

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