Bauhinia /boʊˈhɪniə/[3] is a large genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Cercidoideae[4] and tribe Bauhinieae,[5] in the large flowering plant family Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution. The genus was named after the Bauhin brothers Gaspard and Johann, Swiss-French botanists.
Many species are widely planted in the tropics as orchid trees, particularly in India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and southeastern China. Other common names include mountain ebony and kachnar (India and Pakistan). Before the family was reorganised,[4] a number of genera including the lianas Lasiobema and Phanera were placed here (see related genera).
In the United States, the trees grow in Hawaii, coastal California, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. Bauhinia × blakeana is the floral emblem of Hong Kong—a stylized orchid tree flower appears on the flag of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Airlines uses ‘Bauhinia’ as its radio callsign in air traffic communication.
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