Bauhinia variegata L.
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Description
Bauhinia variegata is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree, usually 5–12 m tall, with a spreading crown and irregular branching pattern. The bark is greyish-brown, smooth when young, becoming slightly rough with age. Leaves are simple, alternate, leathery, and characteristically bilobed, resembling a camel hoof. They are usually 6–15 cm wide, divided nearly halfway into two rounded lobes, with prominent palmate veins arising from the base. Flowers are large, bisexual, fragrant, and showy, appearing before or during leaf emergence. The flowers are variable in colour from white to pink, often with purple streaks on the petals. Each flower has five unequal petals and prominent stamens. Fruits are long, flat, woody pods, usually 15–30 cm long, containing several flattened brown seeds arranged in a row.
Diagnostic Characters
Distribution
Native range: Native to Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia.
In Pakistan: Widely distributed in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh. In Pakistan commonly planted region.
Phenology
Ethnobotany & Uses
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Where it grows on campus
Taxonomic Notes
White to pink flowers with darker markings. Earlier flowering. Slightly broader petals. Recent molecular studies place many former Bauhinia species within segregated genera such as Bauhinia and Barklya, depending on classification system. UniFlora Field Recognition Tip 🌿. Look for 🌳 Small deciduous tree.