Bauhinia variegata L., Fabaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 9 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: bauhinia, butterfly tree, mountain ebony, orchid tree, purple orchid tree, white bauhinia

French: arbre à orchidées, arbre de Saint-Thomas, bois de boeuf, sabot boeuf

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Tree 3-8 m tall; petioles 2-4 cm long; leaf blades bilobed less than half way, 6-10 long, (5) 7-15 cm wide, each half palmately 5-veined; flowers 1 or few, in short lateral racemes; petals (3.5) 4-6 (8) cm long, 2-3 cm wide, variable in color, either pale purple to rose, the uppermost one darker, with purple or crimson veins or blotches, or white to yellowish, with green veins, and purplish externally; fertile stamens 5, the anthers 5 mm long; staminodes 5; pods 15-25 cm long, 15-18 mm wide, coiled upon dehiscence; seeds 15-16 mm long, 11-13 mm wide"  (Welsh, 1998; p. 140).

Key to some Bauhinia species:

Fertile stamen 1; staminodes 5, small; petals long-clawed, 4-5.5 x 2-3 cm, white to pink, with red blotches or dots, the uppermost one splotched with deeper red, yellow or yellow-margined; leaf blades ovate-oblong, 7-20 cm long and broad, cordate to rounded at base, pubescent beneath when young, lobed about 1/5-1/2 their length, the lobes obtuse to subacuminate. B. monandra.

Fertile stamens 3-10.

Petals crimson to deep red, yellow-dotted without, 2.5-4 cm long, the claw nearly as long as the lamina; fertile stamens 3; leaf blades crescent-shaped, 2-5 cm long and broad, cordate to rounded at base, shallowly lobed to about 1/3 their length, the lobes rounded. B. galpinii.

Petals white or yellow to purple, not clawed or with a claw much shorter than the lamina.

From: Smith, A. C. 1985. Flora Vitiensis nova: A new flora of Fiji. Lawai, Kauai, Hawai‘i. National Tropical Botanical Garden. Vol. 3, p 119.

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "perhaps sparingly naturalized in forest at higher elevations as well as cultivated near sea level"  (Smith, 1985; p. 121). In New Caledonia, "cultivé et parfois naturalisé" (MacKee, 1994; p. 72).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Eastern Asia, now widely cultivated.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island		ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		Sykes, Bill (year unknown)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 121-122) var. candida. Vouchers cited: DA 14759, Greenwood 790
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1966) (voucher ID: BISH 32811) Taxon name on voucher: Bauhinia variegata L.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 140) Voucher cited: Florence 4728
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1967) (voucher ID: BISH 153031) Taxon name on voucher: Bauhinia variegata L.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1983) (voucher ID: BISH 492580) Taxon name on voucher: Bauhinia variegata L.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 140) Voucher cited: Florence 4478
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1983) (voucher ID: BISH 555134) Taxon name on voucher: Bauhinia variegata L.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2006) (p. Voucher specimen) Voucher cited: Rock s.n. (BISH 455968)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	introduced cultivated	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral/Imada, Clyde T. (2000) (p. 21)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2006) (p. Voucher specimens) Voucher cited: Flynn 1521 (BISH 505840)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2006) (p. Voucher specimens) Voucher cited: Rock 12956 (BISH 54750)
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced cultivated	Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (p. 137) Voucher cited: Hassall 194 (SUVA)
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Île Lifou	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 72) Vouchers cited: Däniker 2383, MacKee 5244 Spontané
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 72) Vouchers cited: Balansa s.n., Admin. Pénit. 69, Denizot s.n.; cv. "Candida"; voucher cited: MacKee 39295 Spontané
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 84)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 65)
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced cultivated	Lavergne, Christophe (2006) "Cultivé"
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)

Comments:  A problem species in Florida. Reported weedy in gardens in Hawai‘i (Staples et al., 2000; p. 21).

Additional information:  Photos and additional information at University of Florida, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants

Additional online information about Bauhinia variegata is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Bauhinia variegata may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1966. Voucher specimen #BISH 32811 (Koroiveibau, D. 14759).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1967. Voucher specimen #BISH 153031 (Smith, H.M. 138).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1983. Voucher specimen #BISH 492580 (Florence, J. 4728).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1983. Voucher specimen #BISH 555134 (Florence, J. 4478).

ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre. 2005. International Legume Database & Information Service. Online searchable database.

Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. 2006. Annotated checklist of cultivated plants of Hawai‘i (online searchable database).

Lavergne, Christophe. 2006. List des especes exotiques envahissantes a La Reunion. Unpublished manuscript (Excel file). .

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

Smith, Albert C. 1985. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 3. 758 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2002. Report to the Government of Samoa on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 83 pp.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar. 2003. Report to the Republic of Palau on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 174 pp.

Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral/Imada, Clyde T. 2000. Survey of invasive or potentially invasive cultivated plants in Hawai‘i. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers No. 65. 35 pp.

Sykes, Bill. 0. Bill Sykes, pers. com.

Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. 1994. The flora of Nauru. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Research Bulletin 392:1-223.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.