Kingdom: Plantae Clade:  Angiosperms Order:     Fabales Family: Fabaceae Genus:    Bauhinia Species: B. variegata

habitat

B. variegata is a tree of tropical dry mixed deciduous and moist deciduous forests. On the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent it is limited to the Himalayan foothills and adjoining Siwaliks and recent alluvial deposits.In Myanmar it occurs in dry mixed forests up to 900 m altitude.

demands plenty of light and requires good drainage. The tree grows principally in disturbed areas, along riversides and waterways, in natural thickets and along roadsides. It is often

 B. variegata has been reported flowering in its native range from January-February to April-May and fruiting from March to July. In Puerto Rico, B. variegata flowers have been recorded from autumn to spring. In Florida, it flowers in January and February (early spring).

In India, leaf fall begins November-December and the tree is leafless, or mostly so, until March. New leaves appear from February to April. The large pink, purple or white flowers appear from February to April, chiefly on the upper leafless branches, the lower branches be

ing still in leaf or leafless. In the northern parts of India and Pakistan the pods form rapidly, ripening in May and June

The tree is a fast-growing perennial with seeds that can remain viable for more than a year. Seeds are dispersed before the monsoon in India, and germinate with the start of the rains.