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Bauhinia variegata L.
K . F. C O N N O R
Southern Research Station,
USDA Forest Service
cent stearic, and traces of myristic fatty acids (Zaka and others
the world (Larson 1974). The genus includes trees, vines, and
shrubs that are frequently planted for their showy flowers and
ornamental foliage (Bailey 1941, Neal 1965). Bauhinia variega-
that the lowest petal is larger and marked with crimson. Bailey
(1949) notes that the petal lips are often attractively marked or
mottled with purple. Little and others (1974) state that one
petal is streaked and that the petals have wavy margins. Petals
are 5.1 to 6.4 cm long and 2.5 to 3.2 cm wide. The calyx splits
along one side when opening and remains attached. There are
five to six fertile stamens per flower. Fruits are dark, dehiscent
pods that curve and twist when splitting open. They are long,
thin, and pointed on both ends. Little and others (1974) note
summer. Stomata are present on both the seeds and the pods
(Rugenstein and Lersten 1981); the seeds are light brown,
rounded, and flat.
Although published reports on the handling of B. variegata pods and seeds are not available, in most hard-seeded
temperate Fabaceae, pod ripeness is determined by a color
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planting. Seed orientation in the soil may be an important factor in seedling survival. Prasad and Nautiyal (1995) report that
B. retusa seeds sowed with the micropylar end up had the ear-
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