Accession Count: 0
Common Name:
Kei bauhinia
Family Name:
Fabaceae
Botanical Name:
Bauhinia bowkeri
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Bauhinia bowkeri has alternating leaves that are bright-green, glossy and bi-lobed. The leaves are deeply parted they resemble butterfly wings.The foliage of this shrub or small tree is scrambled. From fall to winter this plant will bear white frilly flowers that are very aromatic (1). The flowers produce legumes. The fruit are long, narrow, flat, and dehiscent. The pods are streaked with greenish-cream color. The seeds are compressed, circular and less than an inch in length (5).
Compound:
Bau bow
Geographic Origin:
Africa
Ecozone Origin:
Afrotropic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
“The Bauhinia bowkeri was first collected by Colonel James Henry Bowker” (2) around 1822-1900. He was a farmer and a naturalist who collected the specimen on the Mbashe River in the Eastern Cape. The common name beesklou which means 'cattle foot' is applied to a majority of the bauhinias and relates to the leaf of the spoor or cloven-hoofed animals. The prefix Kei applies to the region along the east coast of South Africa on both sides of the Kei River. “After the pride-of-De Kaap, Bauhinia bowkeri is the most striking and although still uncommon in cultivation, it is gaining popularity” (2). The pride-of-De Kaap is the most well- known with bright orange-red flowers that bloom in the summer (2).
Cultivation Notes:
In order for this plant to thrive, it must be watered occasionally during the dry summer months. This plant is tolerant to a wide range of soils and is suitable for most gardening areas. The soil is usually fertile while the climate is hot, and frost is rare but mild if it does occur. Rainfall where this plant typically grows is mainly during the warm summer months and the winters are known to be dry. to easily propagate this plant soak the seeds i n warm water over night an sow in the spring. Germination will take three to four weeks. While the seed growth is medium to fast, the flowering is expected within five to eight years (4).
Ethnobotany:
This plant is mainly used as a screen. This means it is able to climb and grow on vertical surfaces to be used as decoration and stabilize embankments against gabions. Gabions are large wire mesh baskets filled with stone where these plants are normally planted. The wire mesh is intended to degrade once the plant takes root it will fills the gaps between the stones.Humans may use this plant “for steaming and bathing” (3). The plant is widely used in Hong Kong in urban landscapes, especially as a street tree (4).
Height:
6 - 10 feet
Width:
20 - 50 feet
Growth Rate:
Moderate Growing
Grow Season:
ForeSummer
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
White
Function:
Screen
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Moderate Water Use
Citations:
- randomharvest.co.za. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- pza.sanbi.org. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- Lall, N. Kishore, N. (2014). Are plants used for skin care in South Africa fully explored?. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
- thegardener.co.za.Retrieved October 16, 2018.
- treesa.org. Retreived March 26, 2019.
