Bauhinia Tomentosa

Scientific Name: Bauhinia Tomentosa

Common Name: Yellow Bauhinia

Family: Fabaceae (commonly known as legume, pea or bean family) 

Names in other languages: Afrikaans (bosbeesklou); Cantonese (kanchivala); English (variegated bauhinia, St. Thomas tree, bell bauhinia,orchid tree, hairy bauhinia, mountain ebony, yellow tree bauhinia); Hindi (kural,gurial,padrian,gwiar,kachnar,koliar); Malay (akbar tapak kerbau,kupu-kupu)--- no names in Kiswahili because this shrub is not often found here

• General Information 

Bauhinia tomentosa is a rambling, multi-stemmed shrub or small tree that grows to be between 4 and 8 meters tall. With many short twigs, the branches are frequently drooping. Central, eastern, and southern Africa, as well as Yemen, are home to Bauhinia Tomentosa. Western Africa, southern and eastern Asia, as well as the Andaman Islands, have all been introduced to the tree.  

Features of Bauhinia Tomentosa that make it identifiable:  

• The Bark is grayish, smooth,  but sometimes, it can look hairy

• The Leaves are greenish and deeply divided. Also elliptical in nature. 

• The flowers are bell-shaped with large, yellow petals with a dark maroon patch at the base 

• The fruit  are pale brown pods enclosed in a seal-like structure of a similar color

Uses (non medicinal) 

• used for aromatic purposes

Medicinal Uses:  

• Its flowers are used as remedy for dysentery and diarrhea

• Root bark is used for conditions of the large intestine 

• Infusion of the stem bark is used as an astringent gargle

• the leaf is an ingredient in a plaster applied to abscesses

• A decoction of the root bark is used for abdominal troubles and as an anthelmintic

• An infusion of the root bark is used as an external application to inflamed glands, abscesses and skin conditions

• A paste of the seed made with vinegar is used as a local application to wounds created by venomous animals.