Red Orchid

Bauhinia galpinii  N.E. Br.

bah-HIN-ee-uh  gal-PIN-ee-eye

Caesalpiniaceae (Legumes)

Key to Bauhinia L. 

Synonym: Bauhinia punctata Bolle (GRIN)

Explanation of name: Bauhinia named for two Swiss botanists, the brothers Johann and Casper Bauhin. The two lobes of the leaf exemplify the two brothers. Galpinii named for Ernest Galpin, South African banker and plant collector. (STE)

Natural range: south tropical Africa (BA2)

Recognition: low spreading shrub.  Leaves 2-lobed, divided less than half of their length, 3/4" to 1-1/4" long.  Flowers brick-red, in few-flowered racemes, 1-1/2" to 2-1/2" across.

Fruit dark brown straight legumes, to 5" long  (BA2, WA1)

Landscape uses: specimen shrub, color accent in the shrubbery border (WA1)