Economic Importance of Bauhinia purpurea

Description: Moderate sized evergreen tree. Young parts are covered with brown pubescence. Leaves cordate, nerved, the twin leaflets fold at night. Flowers large, showy, fragrant, rosy purple or lilac, in short peduncled terminal panicles. Seeds oblong, dark-brown, smooth and compressed.

Economic Importance:

The heartwood is dark-brown, strong, hard easy to polish and work. But it is not a durable timber and is readily attacked by wood borers, white ants and decay. Used mainly for heavy packing cases, agricultural implements, posts, scantlings, rafters and inferior construction, besides it is used for fuel.

The leaves give a fodder of medium quality. Flowers are cooked as vegetable and pickles. The bark is used as a cheap tan, dye and in indigenous medicine. The tree has ornamental value because of its gorgeous flowers.

Note: All the images are captured by Puskar Pande at Forest Research Institute, Dehradun.