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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
from FNA
FL; Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in tropical areas worldwide]
[BONAP county map]
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
B. aculeata, B. lunarioides, B. purpurea
Synonyms B. candida, B. variegata var. alboflava, B. variegata var. candida, Phanera variegata
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 375. (1753)
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