General Information

COMMON NAMES: Hongkong Orchid-tree, Hongkong Butterfly Tree; German Bauhinien, Orchideenbäume GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Hong Kong COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Not naturalised; Land, lowlands SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Ornamental flowers KEY FEATURES: A shrub or tree to 12m with spreading branches and large orchidlike rose-purple flowers. LEAVES 20cm side, bilobed, cut to 30% from apex. FLOWERS long clusters, 15cmØ, petals 80x25mm, rose-purple to bright red, 5 fertile stamens, 2-5 sterile stamens. FT nil.

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
	-	-						-

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-			-

Bauhinia X blakeana
SYNONYMS: Bauhinia purpurea X Bauhinia ?variegata

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Fabales (Legumes); CAESALPINIACEAE

GENERAL NOTE: The original tree was found in a disused garden in Hong Kong around 1900. Cuttings were given to the Hong Kong Botanic Garden and the species was named in 1908. The original plant is widely believed to have been a natural hybrid of Bauhinia purpurea (giving the buds slight wings at the apex) and Bauhinia variegata (giving the 5 fertile stamens). [GardensII]

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.419 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.141 Hortus 3rd
p.130 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.541 Tropica

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM05a, zD02

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