Bauhinia pururea

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliposida
Order: Fabales
Family: Caesalpiniaceae
Genus: Bauhinia
Species: B.purpurea
Scientific Name: Bauhinia purpurea L.

Common names
English: Butterfly tree, Pink butterfly tree, Purple bauhinia, Purple butterfly tree, Purple orchid tree
Hindi: Kaniar
Kannada: Devakanchan, Basavana Paada
Marathi: Raktakanchan

Discription

1. Habit and Habitat: A small to medium - sized tree.The Purple Orchid Tree is an exotic tropical tree that blooms over a long period of time. The beautiful & fragrant, classic, Orchid-like flowers of Bauhinia purpurea makes this small tree, native to India.
2. Distribution: Native to South China (which includes Hong Kong) and Southeast Asia.india.
3. Morphology:
   Leaf: Simple, roundish, as broad as long, divided into 2 obtuse lobes, stipules long triangular, base cordate.
   Inflorescence: Racemes.
   Flower: Showy, fragrant, in terminal and axillary corymbose racemes, bracts triangular, bracteoles 2, below the middle. Calyx hairy, dilated upwards, divided at the apex into 5 short teeth.Petals oblanceolate, long - clawed, rosy purple with veins.
   Androecium: Fertile stamens 3, others reduced to staminodes, filaments as long as petals.
   Gynoecium: Ovary stalked, style long, stigma oblique, peltate.
   Fruit: Pod linear flat, pointed, broad,, subwoody, glabrous, greenish tinged purple till ripe.
   Seeds: 12 - 15, flat.
   Flowering and Fruiting time : September - November.
4. Propagation: by seeds.
5. Importance:
   a.Cultivated in the gardens.
   b.The tree is also known to yield gum.
   c.The leaves are used as cattle fodder and are eaten as vegetable or pickle.
   d.The bark is used by the tanning industry.
   e.It is also used to wash ulcers.
   f.The wood is good for making agricultural implements.
   Location: opp to library.

References
Eflora of Gandhinagar
Flowers of India
Wikipedia