Bauhinia racemosa

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 Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and China.

Description

A small deciduous tree. It can be up to 15 m high. It has a crooked trunk and spreading crown. The bark is very dark and rough and deeply cracked. The leaves have 2 lobes. They are broader than they are long. The flowers are greenish-yellow. There are 10 stamens. The pods are 15-20 cm long. They are thick and woody and slightly curved. They contain 10-20 seeds.

Edible Uses

The seeds are dried and ground into flour for bread-making or roasted and eaten. The flower buds are eaten cooked, while young leaves and flowers are stir-fried. The leaves are also pickled. The fruit pods are sold in markets.

Traditional Uses

The seeds are dried and ground into flour for making bread. They are also roasted and eaten. The flower buds are eaten cooked. The young leaves and flowers are stir-fried. The leaves are pickled.

Medicinal Uses

The plant has anticancer properties.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in deciduous forest. It can tolerate a wide range of soils. It is reasonably tolerant of drought and high rainfall. In Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Asia, Cambodia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Northeastern India, Pakistan, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by seeds, air-layering or grafting.

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for24 hours in warm water then sow in situ or in a nursery seedbed. Germination rates of 1 year old seed can be from 58 - 95%. Young plants grow rapidly and quickly produce a taproot that can be 60cm long within 2 months of germination. Plants are not very tolerant of transplanting unless moved whilst still quite small. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, with the leaves removed, placed in moist sand.

Other Uses

The inner bark yields a bast fibre that can be made into rude cordage, but which soon rots in water. It is reddish in colour, very tough and strong, and has been used in the construction of bridges. The stems are usually cut in July or August, the outer bark being stripped off and thrown away, while the inner layers are used for rope as wanted, being previously soaked in water, and are twisted wet. The report from is quite likely here by mistake. I believe that the entry is more likely to be for Bauhinia vahlii (syn Bauhinia racemosa Vahl). The brown wood has irregular dark patches near the centre. It is hard. The wood is not much used, though it makes a good fuel.

Production

The fruit are available in May to July in Rajasthan in India. In southern China plants flower in April to May and fruit in June to August.

Other Information

The fruit are sold in markets.

Notes

There are about 250-350 Bauhinia species. Most are in the tropics. Also as Caesalpinaceae. It has anticancer properties.

Also Known As

Aachitro, Amata, Apta, Arai, Ari, Ashta, Asintro, Asitra, Asundro, Banne, Banraj, Bhosa, Ghila, Gurial, Gwiral, Hinglo, Jhanjhara, Jhinja, Jhinjheri, Jhiza, Kachnal, Kachnar, Kondal, Katmauli, Kosundra, Kotal, Mahulvel, Makuna, Maula, Mong-bo chum, Pohon bohinia anggrek-sutra myanmar, Seta, Shid, Svetkanchagna, Thaur

References (28)

• Ambasta S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 69
• Bhogaonkar, P. Y. & Devarkar, V. D., 2018. Inventory for ethnovegetable knowledge of the tribals of Satpura hill area-Melghat, Dist. Amravati (India), Plantae Scientia, 2018; Vol. 01 Issue 01: 01-08
• Chauhan, S. H., et al, 2018, Consumption patterns of wild edibles by the Vasavas: a case study from Gujarat, India. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2018) 14:57
• Ekka, N. S. & Ekka, A., 2016, Wild Edible plants Used by Tribals of North-east Chhattisgarh (Part-I), India. Research Journal of Recent Sciences. Vol. 5(ISC-2015), 127-131 (2016)
• Encycl. 1:390. 1785

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