3528.000 Bauhinia L. - Orchid trees

Schmidt, E.J.D. (2012) A new species of Bauhinia from southern Mozambique and the reinstatement of Bauhinia macrantha Bothalia 42(1) 44-47

Description of the genus

Shrubs or small trees, sometimes scrambling or climbing. Tendrils 0, but branches sometimes coiling in a tendril-like manner. Leaves alternate, simple, conspicuously 2-lobed. Flowers usually large and showy, bisexual, in short racemes or solitary. Calyx spathaceous. Petals 5, free. Fertile stamens 1-10, sometimes accompanied by staminodes. Stigma capitate or small. Pods oblong-linear, woody, dehiscent. Seeds flat.

Derivation of name: Named, because of the 2-lobed leaves, after two Swiss botanists, Jean and Caspar Bauhin.

Worldwide: 300 species, pantropical.

Zimbabwe: 6 taxa.

Insects associated with this genus:
Achaea catella (Banded achaea) Larval food plant
Micraphe lateritia (Rosy slug) Larval foodplant
Rhodesia viridalbata (Frosted emerald) Food plant
Bauhinia tomentosa

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
galpinii N.E.Br.N,C,E,SDescription, Image
macrantha Oliv.N,W,CDescription, Image
petersiana BolleN,W,C,EDescription, Image
tomentosa L.N,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
variegata L. var. candida VoigtCDescription, Image
variegata L. var. variegata C,EDescription, Image

Other sources of information about Bauhinia:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Bauhinia
Flora of Caprivi: Bauhinia
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Bauhinia
Flora of Malawi: Bauhinia
Flora of Mozambique: Bauhinia
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Bauhinia
Flora of Zambia: Bauhinia
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Bauhinia
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Bauhinia

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Bauhinia
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Bauhinia
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Bauhinia
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Bauhinia
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Bauhinia
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Bauhinia
JSTOR Plant Science: Bauhinia
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Bauhinia
Plants of the World Online: Bauhinia
Tropicos: Bauhinia
Wikipedia: Bauhinia

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Genus page: Bauhinia.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=689, retrieved 19 March 2024

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