Bauhinia acuminata
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Family: FABACEAE/LEGUMINOSAE
Malayalam Name(s): Veluthamandaram, Mantharam
English name(s): White Bauhinia, Kaa-long, Snowy Orchid
Habit: Shrub
Flowering & Fruiting: Throughout the year
Habitat: Grown as ornamental plant
Description: Shrub, to about 3 m tall; young stems puberulent; stipules linear, puberulent, 1-2 cm long, caducous; leaves subcoriaceous, ovate to subrotund, (3-)7-11(-20) cm long, (3-)6-10(-20) cm wide, bilobed for about 1/3 the length, lobes acute to acuminate or rarely, rounded, the base rounded to subcordate, 7-11-nerved, glabrous above, puberulent, glabrescent, somewhat glaucous beneath; bracts and bracteoles linear; inflorescences lateral, few-flowered, racemose or cymose; flowers about 3.5-6 cm long; buds narrowly ellipsoid with 5 apical teeth about 3 mm long; calyx spathaceous, puberulent, about 3 cm long; petals white, elliptic, obtuse, 3.5-5(-6)cm long, (1.5-)2-3 cm wide; stamens 10, perfect, the filaments connate at the base, otherwise free, 1.5-2.5 cm long, pubescent at the base; anthers 4-7 mm long with puberulent connective; ovary stipitate, subglabrous or lightly puberulent; style glabrous; stigma peltate; fruit linear-oblong, somewhat septate within, 3-11-seeded, 7-15 cm long, 1-2 cm wide with sharp-rimmed, raised margins; seeds about 8-10 mm long, 6 mm wide, compressed, brown.