Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Bauhinia malabarica

Edible: Leaves, Seeds, Flowers

A small to large tree. It grows 3-5 m high but can be up to 17 m high. The trunk branches near the base. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves are alternate and smooth. The base is slightly heart shaped. The tip is notched. The leaves are 1-20 cm long. The flowers are white or pink. The fruit is a flat pod. The pods are long. They can be 25-30 cm long. They contain many seeds. The pod gradually tapers to the tip. The pod has an irregular network of veins.

It is a tropical plant. It grows in Nepal at 200-1200 m altitude. It grows on open hillsides. It grows in areas with a rainfall of 1,000 - 3,000 mm each year. In Indonesia it grows from sea level to 150 m above sea level.

Common Names: Malabar ebony, Mountain ebony, Alibangbang, Amili, Amil tanki, Amli, Amlosa, Bentjuluk, Bwegyin, Chinbyit, Hanthar, Karmai, Khormang, Kotra, Malabar orchid tree, Phak xiao, Pohon bauhinia malabar, Pulishinta, Seaw, Selik, Shin-le-yat, Som siew, Tanki, Tenga kotra

Synonyms: 

Bauhinia acida Korth.;
Bauhinia castrata Hassk.;
Bauhinia hawkesiana F. M. Bailey;
Bauhinia platyphylla Miq.;
Bauhinia rugulosa Miq.;
Casparea castrata (Hassk.) Hassk.;
Pauletia acida (Korth.) Hassk.;
Piliostigma malabaricum (Roxb.) Bentham;
Lysiphyllum malabarica; ?