Bauhinia racemosa
| Bauhinia racemosa | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Bauhinia |
| Species: | B. racemosa
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| Binomial name | |
| Bauhinia racemosa | |
| Synonyms | |
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Bauhinia racemosa, commonly known as the bidi leaf tree, is a rare medicinal species of flowering shrub with religious significance. It is a small crooked tree with drooping branches that grows 3–5 metres (10–16 ft) tall and flowers between February and May. It is native to tropical Southeast Asia.
Description
The tree's leaves are relatively small and wide, with dimensions ranging from 2 to 5 cm in length and 2.5 to 6.3 cm in width. A cleft divides each leaf into two rounded globes. The flowers appear in terminal racemes, measuring 5 to 12.5 cm in length. The pods are stalked, smooth, and turgid, featuring a blunt apex and a tapered base. Ripe pods exhibit a dark brown color, are indehiscent, and house 12 to 20 seeds. The bark is scabrous, displaying vertical cracks, and has a bluish-black hue. The tree blossoms between March and June, and its pods mature in November-December, persisting on the tree for several additional months.[1]
Ecology
The immature seeds of the tree are consumed by Grizzled giant squirrel[2]
Religious significance
In Hindu families it is customary to exchange leaves of the Aapta tree on the
Other uses
The leaves are used in the production of beedi, a thin Indian and Sri Lankan cigarillo.[4]
References
- ISBN 9788173714559.
- PMC 10701183.
- ^ Phalak, Paresh Prashant. "The Real Gold". Retrieved 25 October 2012.
- ^ "Bidi Leaf Tree". Flowers of India.
External links
Media related to Piliostigma racemosum at Wikimedia Commons
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