Orchid Tree

Location in BHU campus :Cultivated in Botanical garden and near Central library.

Botanical name : Bauhinia variegata L.

Family : Caesalpiniaceae

Vernacular / local Name : Bengali-Raktakanchan;Gujarati-Kovindara;Hindi-Kachnar;Kannada-Arisinatige;Malayalam-Chuvannamandaram;Marathi-Raktakanchan;Sanskrit-Kovidara;Tamil-Shemmadarai;Telugu-Devakanchanamu,mandari.

English / Trade names : Buddhist Bauhinia, Mountain Ebony, Orchid tree, Variegated bauhinia

A medium sized ornamental tree with a stocky trunk and dark grey or brown bark.Leaves 7-15 cm ,almost as long as broad, bilobed, rounded, thick. Flowers large, white, pink or mauve, fragrant. Calyx grey- hairy. Fruit long pod, 15-30 cm , flat,glabrous,10-15 seeded.

Flowering : March- April

Fruiting: May-June

  • Sacred value

    • The flowers are offered to lord Vishnu on Vaikunta chaturdhasi vrata. The flowers of all Bauhinias are used in worship.

  • Uses

    • It is a popular ornamental tree. Root is carminative;decoction prevents obesity.Bark is tonic and anthelmintic,used in scrofula and cutaneous troubles,ulcers and leprosy.Flower buds are eaten as vegetables or pickled .Dried buds are used for diarrhoea, dysentry and piles.Flowers are laxative.Seeds yield fatty oil.Bark yields a fibre.Bark is also used for dyeing and tanning.Leaves are used as fodder. The leaves are used for making bidis .Wood is used for agricultural implements.The timber is a good fuel.

Butterfly tree,orchid tree-Khairwal

Location in BHU campus :Roadside tree ,also planted in Botanical and Ayurvedic gardens and Science Faculty.

Botanical name : Bauhinia purpurea L.

Family : Caesalpiniaceae

Vernacular / local Name : Bengali-Deva; Kanchan,rakta Kanchan; Hindi-Khairwal; Kannada-Sarul,baswanapada; Malayalam-Chuvanna-mandaram; Marathi-Atmatti; Tamil-Mandari; Telugu-Kanchanam.

English /Trade names : Butterfly tree or Orchid tree

A medium sized evergreen tree,9-15 m high .Leaves 8-12 cm diameter, bilobed, glabrous,cleft about half way down, lobes often overlapping. Flowers varying in colour from white to purple,6-9 mm across, in corymbose racemes. Fruit a long pod ,15-20 cm,flat,glabrous,12-15 seeded.

Flowering : September-November

Fruiting: January-April

  • Sacred value

    • The leaves and flowers are offered on NirashanarkaVrata to the Sun God and Goddess Saraswati on Shri MahaSaraswati vrata.

  • Uses

    • Root is carminative. Bark is used in diarrhoea.Bark also yields fibre.Flowers are laxative and anthelmintic. Flowers are eaten as pot herb or pickled. Leaves are used as fodder. Wood is suitable for agricultural implements, matches and rafters.

Trees in Conservation

Trees in Medicine

Trees in Ceremonies

Trees that are worshipped

Trees in Astrology