Bauhinia purpurea

Content

Description

Shrub or small tree up to 10 m. Leaves: stipules minute, 1-2 mm long; petiole 2-3 cm; lamina suborbicular up to 12 cm diam., 9-13-nerved; bifid 1/3-1/2 with narrow to broad sinus; tip of lobes rounded to acute, base rounded to cordate; upper surface glabrous, lower sparsely hairy. Inflorescences lateral and terminal racemes, 6-10-flowered; pedicels thick, 1-1.5 cm; bracts ovate acute, 1-2 mm long; bracteoles similar, inserted at about the middle of the pedicel. Petals narrowly lanceolate, the posterior oblanceolate, 3-5 cm long, claw 5-10 mm, pink to dark purple. Stamens 3 fertile; filaments shortly connate at base, 3-4 cm long; anthers 5-7 mm long; staminodes 5 or 6, filiform, 6-10 mm long. Ovary velvety, 1 cm long, stipitate, stipe 1 cm; style short; stigma oblique, flat. Seeds c. 10; flat, orbicular, c. 15 mm diam.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Jawa (Jawa present), S and SE Asia present, continental monsoon area northwest to Nepal present, tropical Asia present

Native of tropical Asia, probably only in the continental monsoon area northwest to Nepal. Cultivated throughout S and SE Asia; it occurs occasionally as an escape from cultivation as e.g. in Java near Songgoriti, altitude 1000 m.

Notes

There is a certain variation in flower colour from deep purple to pale pink, in our opinion without taxonomic significance. The sterile hybrid Bauhinia purpurea x variegata is also widely cultivated and according to our experience more common than B. purpurea as wayside and park tree. The pollen is very irregular and probably most of it not viable; pods are usually not produced. It is rather intermediate between the parents in floral morphology but has 5 stamens as B. variegata.

Citation

Craib 1928 – In: Fl. Siam. Enum.: 526

Koord. 1912 – In: Exk. Fl. Java: 366

Huang 1977 – In: Fl. Taiwan: 181

Wight & Arn. 1834: Prodr.: 296

Blanco 1845: Fl. Filip., ed. 2: 231

Burm.f. 1768: Fl. Ind.: 94

Kurz 1876 – In: J. As. Soc. Beng.: 288

Gagnep. 1913 – In: Fl. Indo-Chine: 127

Larsen & Larsen 1980 – In: Fl. Camb., Laos & Vietnam: 152

Rudd 1991 – In: Fl. Ceylon: 42.

Roxb. 1832 – In: Fl. Ind., ed. Carey: 320

Hara 1979 – In: Enum. Flow. Pl. Nepal: 108

Larsen & Larsen 1984 – In: Fl. Thailand: 7

Larsen & Larsen 1973 – In: Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc.: 15

Blanco 1878: Fl. Filip., ed. 3: 66

Trim. & Hook.f. 1894 – In: Fl. Ceyl.: 117

Merr. 1918: Sp. Blanc.: 172

Burkill 1935 – In: Diet. Econ. Prod. Malay Penins.: 311

Backer & Bakh.f 1964 – In: Fl. Java: 533

Miq. 1855 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 60.

de Wit 1956 – In: Reinwardtia: 406

Willd. 1799 – In: Sp. Pl.: 511

Roxb. 1874 – In: Fl. Ind.: 345.

Corner 1940: Wayside Trees: 330: f. 129

Backer 1911: Schoolfl. Java: 416

Prain 1897 – In: J. As. Soc. Beng.: 180

Wunderlin, Larsen & Larsen 1987 – In: Biol. Skr. Dan. Vid. Selsk.: 15

Kurz 1877 – In: Fl. Burma: 398

Baker 1878 – In: Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 284

Ridley 1922 – In: Fl. Malay Penins.: 634