Bauhinia vahlii

Bauhinia vahlii Wt. & Arn. (Caesalpiniaceae)








Syn : Phanera vahlii Benth.

Vernacular names: Ben: Sehari; Lod : Jom-Iar; San: Sihari-chop.

Traditional use: TRIBES OF TEHRI-GARHWAL : (i) Fruit: aphrodisiac, (ii) Seed: tonic and vermifuge; TRIBES OF BASTAR : (i) Seed: tonic; SANTAL: (i) Plant: in dysentery, stomachache, (ii) Fruit: to treat antifertility of women.

Phytography : Huge climber with many tendrils; branch lets hairy; leaves alternate, petiolate, simple, 2-cleft, cleavage goes down a quarter to one-third way from the apex, 7.5-45.0 cm long; racemes terminal, subcorymbose; flowers bracteate, 2.5 cm long; pods nearly 45 by 5 cm, rusty-downy, 7- to 12-seeded.

Distribution: Foot of central and eastern Himalaya, ascending up to 800 m, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.