Bauhinia variegata |
|
---|---|
mountain ebony |
|
Habit | Trees, to 15 m. Branches pubescent or glabrescent. |
Leaves | unifoliolate; stipules broadly lanceolate, 1–2 mm; petiole 3–4 cm, glabrous; blade broadly ovate to suborbiculate, 60–160 × 60–160 mm, 2-lobate 1/4–1/3 length, base cordate, 11–13-veined, apex of each lobe rounded, surfaces sparsely puberulous abaxially, glaucous, glabrous adaxially. |
Racemes | 3–8-flowered; mostly subterminal; bract and bracteoles triangular, minute. |
Pedicels | 0.5 cm. |
Flowers | buds fusiform, 3–4 mm; hypanthium tubular, 15 mm; petals white or purple, obovate, subequal, 40–55 mm; fertile stamens 5; filaments shortly connate basally with staminodes, 20–40 mm; anthers 7 mm; staminodes 1–5, 2–3 mm; gynoecium arcuate, nearly equaling stamens; ovary pubescent (mainly on sutures), style and gynophore glabrous; stigma capitate. |
Legumes | stipe 15 mm; linear, 200–300 × 20–25 mm. |
Seeds | 10–25, brown, subglobose, 1–15 × 15 mm; funicular aril lobes subequal, 1 mm. |
Bauhinia variegata |
|
Phenology | Flowering fall. |
Habitat | introduced also in tropical areas worldwide.. |
Elevation | 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) |
Distribution |
FL; Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in tropical areas worldwide] |
Discussion | Bauhinia variegata is widely cultivated worldwide and is often naturalized, as in southern Florida. It is listed as a Category I invasive species by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 11. |
Parent taxa | Fabaceae > subfam. Cercidoideae > Bauhinia |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | B. candida, B. variegata var. alboflava, B. variegata var. candida, Phanera variegata |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 375. (1753) |
Web links |