Plants

Purple Orchid Tree

Bauhinia purpurea

Name

Marathi:

कांचन

Biological Classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Spermatophyta
Sub-Division:	Angiospermae
Class:	Dicotyledonae
Sub-Class:	Polypetalae
Series:	Calyciflorae
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Leguminosae
Sub-Family:	Caesalpiniaceae
Genus:	Bauhinia
Species:	purpurea

Advantages

It is an ornamental tree commonly cultivated in gardens and along roadsides.
The flowers are showy and laxative in nature.

Interesting Facts

The specific name "purpurea" refers to the purple colour of the flowers.

Description

It is a small tree with simple leaves divided into two obtuse lobes, the leaves resemble to that of Apta (Bauhinia racemosa), but are slightly larger in size.
It bears flowers in the months of September - November.
Bauhinia purpurea L.

Reference

Systematic Botany, R. N. Sutaria, Second Edition and Taxonomy of Angiosperms S. N. Pandey and S. P. Mishra.

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