Bauhinia variegata L.

Tree up to 15 m tall. Young branches greyish pubescent, later glabrous. Leaves: stipules minute, 1-2 mm, early caducous; petioles puberulous to glabrous, 3-4 cm; lamina broadly ovate to circular, often broader than long, 6-16 cm diam.; 11-13-nerved; bifid 1/4-1/3 with broad sinus; tip of lobes broadly rounded, base cordate; upper surface glabrous, lower glaucous and when full grown glabrous. Inflorescences: flowers in very short, few-flowered racemes from the older twigs, axis tomentose; bracts triangular, very small, early caducous; bracteoles similar, inserted below the middle of the pedicel; pedicel 3-5 mm. Buds fusiform, 3-4 cm, finely hairy. Hypanthium infundibuliform, c. 15 mm long. Calyx splitting spathaceous. Petals somewhat unequal, white or violet, obovate, 4-5.5 cm long with a short claw, margin often crisped. Fertile stamens 5, unequal; filaments 2-4 cm; anthers 6-7 mm, elliptic; staminodes 5, capillary, 0.5-1 cm long. Ovary pubescent, particularly along the sutures, c. 2 cm, stipe pubescent, 1.5 cm; style short; stigma small, capitate. Pods dehiscent, strap-shaped, obliquely striate, 20-30 by 2-2.5 cm. Seeds 10-25, flat, orbicular, 10-15 mm diam.

A tropical plant. The minimum temperature is 7°C. They cannot tolerate salt spray. It grows naturally in deciduous forest between 500 and 1500 m altitude. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 9-10. In Yunnan.

The flowers are used in pickles and curry. They are dried. They are edible when fried. The young leaves, flowers and fruit (pods) are boiled and cooked as a vegetable. They are also used in relish and chutney. The seeds are eaten after roasting.

Plants can be grown from treated seed. Fresh seeds do not need to be treated, but stored seed do. They are put into hot water then left overnight before planting. (There are 4,200-5,700 seed per kg.) Seeds germinate in about 3 weeks. It can be grown by air-layering and grafting.