Many species are widely planted in the tropics as orchid trees, particularly in India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Nepal and southeastern China. Other common names include mountain ebony and kachnar. Before the family was reorganised,[6] a number of genera including the lianas of genus Phanera were placed here (see related genera).
In the United States, the trees grow in Hawaii, coastal California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. There are native species, like Bauhinia lunarioides native to Texas and widely planted in the Southwest as a landscape plant.[8]
Parts of some species of bauhinia like B. purpurea and B. malabarica are used in Filipino cuisine (known collectively as alinbánban or alinbángbang,[9] "butterfly").[10]
The oldest known species is B. tibetensis, known from fossil leaves from the Late Paleocene of the Tibetan Plateau, where it inhabited the Kohistan-Ladakh Arc, an island arc that existed in the region at the time. It has been suggested that the Asian clade of Bauhinia originated as early as the Early Paleocene, when it dispersed from the genus's region of origin in Africa.[1]
Bauhinia trees typically reach a height of 6–12 m and their branches spread 3–6 m outwards. The lobed leaves usually are 10–15 cm across.
The five-petaled flowers are 7.5–12.5 cm diameter, generally in shades of red, pink, purple, orange, or yellow, and are often fragrant. The tree begins flowering in late winter and often continues to flower into early summer. Depending on the species, Bauhinia flowers are usually in magenta, mauve, pink or white hues with crimson highlights.
Propagation of Bauhinia species is from seeds or cuttings. They thrive in alkaline soils and do not tolerate salty conditions. Full sun exposure is preferred but they can be grown under partial sun. Generous watering is needed during summer; moderate moisture required in winter.
^ abcYi Gao; Ai Song; Wei-Yu-Dong Deng; Lin-Lin Chen; Jia Liu; Wei-Cheng Li; Gaurav Srivastava; Robert A. Spicer; Zhe-Kun Zhou; Tao Su (2023). "The Oldest Fossil Record of Bauhinia s.s. (Fabaceae) from the Tibetan Plateau sheds light on its Evolutionary and Biogeographic Implications". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 21 (1). Bibcode:2023JSPal..2144495G. doi:10.1080/14772019.2023.2244495.
^ ab"Genus: Bauhinia L."Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-03-29. Archived from the original on 2012-05-03. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
^Sinou C, Forest F, Lewis GP, Bruneau A (2009). "The genus Bauhinia s.l. (Leguminosae): a phylogeny based on the plastid trnL–trnF region". Botany. 87 (10): 947–960. doi:10.1139/B09-065.
^Seidemann, Johannes (2005). World Spice Plants. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. p. 64. ISBN9783540279082.
^"ILDIS LegumeWeb entry for Bauhinia". International Legume Database & Information Service. Cardiff School of Computer Science & Informatics. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
^Bell W-A. (1963). Upper Cretaceous Floras of the Dunvegan, Bad Heart, and Milk River Formations of Western Canada (94th ed.). Canada: Dept. of Mines and Technical Surveys.
^Jacques FM, Shi GL, Su T, Zhou ZK (2015). "A tropical forest of the middle Miocene of Fujian (SE China) reveals Sino-Indian biogeographic affinities". Rev Palaeobot Palynol. 216: 76–91. Bibcode:2015RPaPa.216...76J. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2015.02.001.