Digital Garden

Bauhinia variegata

Kachnar

Scientific Name- Bauhinia Variegata

Common name-  Kachnar

 Family- Fabaceae

Subfamily- Caesalpinioideae

The generic name commemorates the Bauhin brothers Jean (1541-1613) and Gaspard (1560-1624), Swiss botanists. The two lobes of the leaf exemplify the two brothers. The specific name refers to the variegation of the flowers.

Habit type- Deciduous tree with a short bole and spreading crown.

Leaves- Leaves have minute stipules 1-2 mm, early caducous; petiole puberulous to glabrous, 3-4 cm; lamina broadly ovate to circular, often broader than long, 6-16 cm diameter; 11-13 nerved; tips of lobes broadly rounded, base cordate; upper surface glabrous, lower glaucous but glabrous when fully grown.

Bark- The bark is light brownish grey, smooth to slightly fissured and scaly. Inner bark is pinkish, fibrous and bitter. The twigs are slender, zigzag; when young, light green, slightly hairy, and angled, becoming brownish grey.

Flowers- Flower clusters (racemes) are unbranched at ends of twigs. The few flowers have short, stout stalks and a stalklike, green, narrow basal tube (hypanthium). The light green, fairly hairy calyx forms a pointed 5-angled bud and splits open on 1 side, remaining attached; petals 5, slightly unequal, wavy margined and narrowed to the base; 5 curved stamens; very slender, stalked, curved pistil, with narrow, green, 1-celled ovary, style and dotlike stigma.

Fruits- Pods dehiscent, strap-shaped, obliquely striate, 20-30 by 2-25 cm; long, hard, flat with 10-15 seeds in each; seeds brown, flat, nearly circular with coriaceus testa.

Medicinal importance and Significance-

·    The showy fragrant, pink, purple or white flowers make the tree attractive for an ornamental and for avenue plantings.

·    The bark decoction is used for diarrhoea control, as an astringent alternative and for treating scrofula, skin diseases and ulcers.

·   One of the main uses of B. variegata is as fuel; calorific value is 4 800 kcal/kg.

·    The leaves, flowers and flower buds are eaten as vegetables.

·   The wood is brown and moderately hard and used for agricultural implements.