Orchidtree
StarBauhinia purpurea
Synonyms: Bauhinia triandra, Perlebia purpurea, Bauhinia purpurea var. corneri, Casparia castrata, Bauhinia purpurea var. violacea, Telestria purpurea, Phanera rosea, Bauhinia coromandeliana, Bauhinia kurzii, Phanera kurzii, Bauhinia violacea, Perlebia purpurea var. corneri, Caspareopsis purpurea, Phanera purpurea, Perlebia purpurea var. violacea
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Ayurveda (where it is associated with the Kanchanara group) and in Indian and Southeast Asian folk medicine, the bark of Bauhinia purpurea is valued as an astringent and is used in decoction for diarrhoea, dysentery, ulcers and glandular swellings, while bark pastes are applied for rheumatism and skin complaints and the flowers and root enter remedies for jaundice and related conditions (Kumar & Chandrashekar, 2011). Species-specific pharmacological studies report antiulcer, antidiarrhoeal and anti-inflammatory activity, consistent with the tannin- and flavonoid-rich tissues (Zakaria et al., 2011). These are Ayurvedic and South/Southeast Asian folk uses, outside the Native American tradition.
Gallery
Botanical Description
Bauhinia purpurea, the purple orchid tree, is a small to medium deciduous tree of the legume family (Fabaceae, subfamily Cercidoideae), reaching about 6 to 12 metres tall with a spreading, often irregular crown and grey to brownish, somewhat fissured bark. The alternate leaves are distinctive: rounded and cleft to about a third or half their length into two lobes, giving the characteristic bilobed "camel-foot" or butterfly shape, 7 to 15 centimetres long, with several palmate veins. Showy, fragrant, orchid-like flowers are borne in lax terminal or axillary racemes in the cooler season; each has five narrow, well-separated, clawed petals in shades of rose-purple, magenta, lavender or occasionally white, with three to four fertile stamens. The fruit is a flattened, linear, dehiscent woody pod 15 to 30 centimetres long that splits and twists to scatter the flattened seeds. Native to southern and south-eastern Asia, it is widely planted as an ornamental street and garden tree throughout the tropics and subtropics.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
📝 Notes
Public notes from the community and your own private notes on Orchidtree.
No notes yet.