Trees & Plants

Butterfly tree

Javvahiru

Bauhinia purpurea L.

Occasional in home gardens A beautiful evergreen ornamental tree. Plant parts are used to treat dropsy, pain, to rheumatism, thigh swelling, convulsion, delirium and blackness of lip or tongue. Bark acts as an astringent in diarrhea and the decoction is used as a wash in mouth ul

Details

§ 01

uses: A beautiful evergreen ornamental tree. Plant parts are used to treat dropsy, pain, to rheumatism, thigh swelling, convulsion, delirium and blackness of lip or tongue. Bark acts as an astringent in diarrhea and the decoction is used as a wash in mouth ulcers. Roots are carminative and the flowers laxative.
family: Fabaceae
synonym: Phanera purpurea (L.) Benth.
description: Medium sized trees with spreading branches. Leaves alternate, to 7-18 cm long, rather longer than broad, 9-11 nerved, cleft about halfway down into 2 rounded lobes; petiole 2.5-5 cm long. Inflorescence few flowered panicles at the end of branches. Flowers pedicellate, flpedicel 5-13 mm long. Hypanthium 7-10 mm long. Calyx 2.5-3.0 cm long, usually splitting into two reflexed segments, one emarginate the other 3 toothed. Petals 3.7-5 cm long, oblanceolate, long clawed, spreading, veined. Stamens usually 3 fertile, others reduced to antherless filaments. Ovary downy, long stalked; style long, × stigma oblique. Pod 15-25 1.5-2 cm; stalk ca. 2 cm long; seeds 12-15, almost round, ca. 1.2-1.3 cm in diameter, brown, smooth.
native range: South China, Southeast Asia
distribution: Asia-Pacifc region, north and central America, Africa and Australia.
english names: Butterfly tree · Orchid tree
flowering fruiting: September-December
occurrence maldives: Occasional in home gardens