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mountain ebony

anacacho orchid tree, texasplume

Habit Trees, to 15 m. Branches pubescent or glabrescent. Shrubs, to 4 m. Branches loosely strigose when young, soon glabrate.
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.

uni- or bifoliolate;

stipules broadly lanceolate, 1 mm;

petiole 0.5–1(–1.5) cm, loosely strigose;

blade broadly ovate to suborbiculate, (10–)15–25(–30) × (15–)20–25(–30) mm, 2-lobate 3/4+ length or bifoliolate, base cordate or, rarely, truncate, (5–)11-veined, apex of each lobe rounded, surfaces strigose to glabrate abaxially, glabrous adaxially.

Racemes

3–8-flowered; mostly subterminal;

bract and bracteoles triangular, minute.

2–6(–10)-flowered;

terminal or subterminal;

bract lanceolate, 1 mm;

bracteoles similar to bract, smaller.

Pedicels

0.5 cm.

0.5–1 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.

buds sometimes purplish tinged, narrowly lanceolate, 10–20 mm;

hypanthium cyathiform, 1–2 mm;

petals white or pale pink, elliptic-lanceolate to ovate, subequal, 15–25 mm;

fertile stamen 1, subequaling petals;

filament shortly connate basally with staminodes, 15–25 mm;

anther 5–7 mm;

staminodes 9, 5–7 mm;

gynoecium slightly arcuate, subequaling stamens;

ovary and gynophore pilose, style glabrate;

stigma capitate.

Legumes

stipe 15 mm;

linear, 200–300 × 20–25 mm.

gynophore 5 mm;

linear, 50–80 × 10–20 mm.

Seeds

10–25, brown, subglobose, 1–15 × 15 mm;

funicular aril lobes subequal, 1 mm.

5–10, dark brown, oblong, 7–10 × 6–8 mm;

funicular aril lobes unequal, 1.5 mm and 0.5 mm.

Bauhinia variegata

Bauhinia lunarioides

Phenology Flowering fall. Flowering spring(–early summer).
Habitat introduced also in tropical areas worldwide.. Desert scrub, on calcareous soils.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) 400–600 m. (1300–2000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in tropical areas worldwide]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León)
[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.)

In the flora area, Bauhinia lunarioides is known from Kinney, Maverick, and Val Verde counties along the lower Rio Grande River.

Bauhinia lunarioides is cultivated in tropical areas, as well as the southern United States.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Cercidoideae > Bauhinia Fabaceae > subfam. Cercidoideae > Bauhinia
Sibling taxa
B. aculeata, B. lunarioides, B. purpurea
B. aculeata, B. purpurea, B. variegata
Synonyms B. candida, B. variegata var. alboflava, B. variegata var. candida, Phanera variegata B. congesta, B. jermyana, Casparia congesta, C. jermyana
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 375. (1753) A. Gray ex S. Watson: Smithsonian Misc. Collect. 258: 205. (1878)
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