The violet orchid sapling, scientifically known as Bauhinia
purpurea L., is a magnificent flowering herb famous for its noticeable blooms
and varied customary uses. Belonging to the household Caesalpiniaceae, what is
now largely recognized as a subfamily of Fabaceae, it is a herb that holds
significant cultural and medicinal worth over diverse regions of the earth. Its
equivalent is Bauhinia triandra Roxb.
Introduction
Bauhinia purpurea is a medium-measured, deciduous sapling
that captivates with its abundance of orchid-like flowers, particularly during
the fall months. Originating from the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, it possesses
successfully founded itself in varied tropical and warm climates worldwide.
Beyond its ornamental appeal, the sapling possesses been a cornerstone in
customary medicine systems like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese drug for
centuries, with diverse parts of the herb utilized for their therapeutic
properties. Its adaptability and aesthetic beauty be in possession of as well
built it a popular choice for landscaping and avenue planting.
Names in Different Countries
The common distribution and cultural significance of
Bauhinia purpurea are reflected in its numerous common names over diverse
languages and regions:
English: Pink butterfly sapling (Fiji), Purple butterfly
sapling, Purple orchid sapling, Camel's foot, Orchidtree, Purple bauhinia.
Assamese: kurial, kanchan, og-yok
Burmese: Mahahlegani
Bengali: koiral, রক্তকাঞ্চন
(raktakanchana)
Chinese: 紫羊蹄甲 (Zi positive ti jia), 羊蹄甲 (Yang ti jia) (Taiwan)
French: Bauhinia à fleurs pourpres
Garo: megong
person: Purpurfarbener Orchideenbaum, Purpurrote Bauhinie
Gujarati: દેવકંચન
(devkanchan)
Hindi: कांचन
(kanchan), लाल कचनार (lal kachnar), केवनार (kevnar), कोविदार (कचनार) (kovidar (kachnar))
Kannada: devakanchan, kanjivala, kempu mandaara,
Kempukanjivala
Khasi: dieng lengthy
Malayalam: Velutha mandaram, Suvarnamandaram
Manipuri: chingthao angangba
Marathi: देवकांचन
(devakanchan), रक्तकांचन
(raktakanchan)
Mizoram: vaube, vaufavang
Nepalese: Khwairalo
Oriya: vaube, borodo
Portuguese: tart de cabra
Punjabi: Karallu
ancient Indian language: देवकांचन
(devakanchan), रक्तकांचन
(raktakanchan), रक्तकोविदार
(raktakovidara), Vanaraja
Spanish: Palo de orquídeas
Tamil: மந்தாரை
(mandarai), நிலத்திருவட்டி
(nilattiruvatti)
Telugu: bodanta, దేవకాంచనము
(devakanjanamu), kanchanam
Thai: Chongkho
Where it is grows
Bauhinia purpurea is indigenous to a huge geographical
region spanning from the foothills of the Himalayas to Southeast Asia and parts
of Australia. Its natural home includes subcontinent, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan,
Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Within subcontinent,
it is broadly shared over states like Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Kerala,
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh.
Due to its ornamental worth and adaptability, it possesses
been broadly introduced and cultivated in many other tropical and warm regions
nearby the globe, comprising Africa, other parts of Southeast Asia, and diverse
islands like Fiji. It thrives in good-draining soils and prefers heated, humid
conditions, though it can tolerate complete sun and is frequently viewed
planted along roadsides, in parks, gardens, and homesteads upward to an
altitude of roughly 1000 meters.
Structure
Bauhinia purpurea is typically a tiny to medium-measured
deciduous sapling, generally reaching heights of upward to 10-17 meters. It
develops a circular, balanced, and moderately dense king's hat. The bark is
light grey-brown, ranging from fairly smooth to slightly fissured and flaky.
Young branches are thin, bright green, slightly hairy, and angled, gradually
befitting brownish-grey and glabrous (smooth). The heartwood is known to be
brown, hard, and strong.
The foliage are easy, alternate, and distinctively bilobed,
similar to a camel's foot or butterfly wings. They are typically 10-20 cm
lengthy and evenly broad, with a curved to superficially cordate base and a
deeply bifid peak (divide upward to single-tertiary or half of the foliage
extent). The foliage margins are whole, and the surfaces are smooth and
glabrous, featuring 9 to 11 main veins originating from the base. Small
stipules, 1-2 mm lengthy, are as well give.
The most noticeable presence of Bauhinia purpurea is its
showy, fragrant flowers, what emerge in terminal panicles or racemes,
frequently with 6-10 flowers per cluster. The flowers are noticeable and scope
in color from violet to pink, occasionally almost pale, frequently noticeable
with violet. Each flower possesses five narrow petals organized to be like an
orchid. The flower buds are clavate (club-formed) and velvety. The sapling
typically possesses triple productive stamens, though occasionally quad, with
adaptable anthers. Flowering usually occurs from month to , creating a vibrant
show.
subsequent the flowers, the sapling produces lengthy, thin,
flat, brown kernel pods, typically 15-30 cm in extent and 1.5-2.5 cm broad.
These dehiscent pods hold 10-15 glossy, brown, flat, curved kernels and usually
persist upon the sapling throughout the cold season, twisting as they unlocked
to scatter the kernels.
healing Properties
Bauhinia purpurea is widely recognized in customary medicine
systems for its broad display of medicinal properties, with diverse parts of
the herb, comprising the bark, foliage, roots, and flowers, being utilized.
current systematic investigation possesses begun to confirm many of these
customary claims, identifying numerous bioactive compounds.
lock medicinal properties contain:
Antioxidant: Extracts of B. purpurea show powerful
antioxidant activity, what helps in neutralizing free radicals and guarding
cells from oxidative harm.
Anti-inflammatory: The herb possesses significant
anti-inflammatory effects, what can abet in reducing lump and ache associated
with diverse inflammatory conditions.
Antipyretic: It possesses been shown to be in possession of
high temperature-reducing properties.
Analgesic: Extracts demonstrate ache-easing capabilities.
Antidiabetic: Traditionally used to manage blood sweetener
levels, investigation suggests its potential in controlling glucose metabolism.
Hepatoprotective: It exhibits defensive effects upon the
organ, potentially safeguarding against organ harm.
Nephroprotective: Some research indicate its part in
guarding kidney purpose.
Antidiarrheal: It possesses been used to handle looseness,
with research supporting its efficacy in reducing bowel movements.
Antimicrobial: The herb shows activity against diverse
bacteria and fungi, contributing to its use in treating infections.
Wound Healing: Topical request or internal use of extracts
promotes faster recovery of wounds and ulcers.
Anticancer/Cytotoxic: Preliminary research be in possession
of indicated cytotoxic activity against certain cancer cell lines.
Antimalarial and Antimycobacterial: Some investigation
points to its effectiveness against malaria parasites and mycobacteria.
Gastroprotective and Antiulcer: It can abet guard the belly
lining and aid in recovery ulcers.
Antinociceptive: Reduces the feeling of ache.
The phytochemical constituents accountable for these
properties contain flavonoids, flavonoid glycosides, phytosterols (like lupeol,
stigmasterol, lanosterol, ergosterol), phenylpropanoid glucosides, and other
compounds.
Advantages
The advantages of Bauhinia purpurea lengthen beyond its
medicinal properties:
Multipurpose Tree: It serves as a origin of wood, fuelwood,
fodder for livestock, aliment (youthful foliage, flowers, and buds are
eatable), tannin, and gum.
decorative Value: Its attractive, fragrant flowers become it
a popular choice for landscaping, adorning parks, gardens, and avenues.
Environmental Benefits: As a quick-growing sapling with a
profound origin method, it can be beneficial for incline stabilization and
erosion manage. It as well contributes to biodiversity by dint of supplying
home for diverse animals.
Ease of Propagation: It can be propagated comparatively
simply from kernels, what be in possession of a tall germination rate, and as
well via methods like cuttings and appearance-stacking.
Traditional wisdom: A wealthy account of customary use
provides a powerful basis for further systematic discovery and request.
possible for dietary Products: Its reported benefits for
blood sweetener rule and lipid profiles propose its potential as a precious
component in nutritional and wellness supplements.
Uses
The uses of Bauhinia purpurea are manifold, including twain
customary and modern applications:
healing:
Bark: Used as an harsh, in glandular diseases (especially
scrofulous enlargements of the neck), tumors, ulcers, and skin diseases. It is
as well used as an antidote for poisons and in treating looseness and Hansen's
disease.
Leaves: Traditionally used for coughs, injured recovery, and
their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Young foliage are
occasionally used as a souring actor in aliment.
Flowers: Used in pickles and curries. Medicinally, they
donate to the herb's total therapeutic outline, advancing energy.
Roots: Applied in diverse Ayurvedic formulations for
conditions like jaundice, hack, and as an antidote.
Overall: The herb is used in treating conditions such as
dropsy, ache, arthritis, convulsions, delirium, septicemia, and in supporting
metabolic wellness.
Culinary: Young foliage, flower buds, and flowers are
eatable. They are cooked as vegetables, used in curries, or pickled.
feed: Leaves supply good fodder for lamb, goats, and cattle,
with a respectable nutrient satisfied.
Timber and Fuelwood: The timber is used for agricultural
implements and as fuelwood, possessing a good calorific worth.
Fiber: The bark can be used to become cord, and stems of
smaller lianescent species are used for binding.
Tannin/Dye: The bark contains significant amounts of tannin,
broadly used in the leather application. The flowers be in possession of as
well been surveyed for natural coloring.
decorative: Widely planted as an appealing ornamental
sapling in gardens, parks, and along roadsides for its attractive flowers.
Using way
The customary methods of using Bauhinia purpurea frequently
include arranging unlike parts of the herb as decoctions, infusions, poultices,
or powders.
Decoctions and Infusions: The bark, foliage, or a
combination of herb parts are boiled in liquid to remove their energetic
compounds. These decoctions are consumed orally for internal conditions like
blood sweetener rule, digestive issues, and anti-inflammatory purposes. They
can as well be used as a clean for ulcers and skin conditions.
Poultices: on behalf of outer applications, such as
glandular swellings, tumors, or localized ache, squashed bark, roots, or
flowers might be mixed with grain liquid or other binding agents to form a
paste, what is then applied straight to the affected region.
Powders: Dried and powdered herb parts can be consumed
straight or mixed with other ingredients in customary formulations.
Dietary Inclusion: Young foliage and flowers are
incorporated into diets as vegetables or flavorings in curries and pickles.
Propagation: on behalf of cultivation, B. purpurea can be
grown from kernels (what germinate willingly), cuttings (though semi-mature
timber cuttings with foliage removed origin better), or via appearance-stacking
and grafting. Young saplings need safety from grazing animals for the first a
handful years.
While customary uses supply precious insights, it is
significant to note that specific dosages and preparation methods for medicinal
purposes should ideally be guided by dint of skilled practitioners or based
upon systematic investigation to guarantee security and efficacy.
Conclusion
Bauhinia purpurea, the violet orchid sapling, stands as a
will to the wealthy biodiversity and ethnobotanical legacy of diverse cultures.
Its captivating beauty, noticeable by dint of the characteristic bilobed
foliage and orchid-like flowers, makes it a cherished ornamental sapling
globally. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, it is a powerhouse of medicinal
properties, with centuries of customary use in Ayurveda and other indigenous
recovery systems. From managing blood sweetener and inflammation to aiding in
injured recovery and combating microbial infections, diverse parts of the
sapling offer a broad spectrum of therapeutic benefits, largely attributed to
its varied phytochemical composition.
Furthermore, its versatility extends to supplying aliment,
fodder, wood, and thread, making it a precious asset for communities. While
customary acquaintance possesses lengthy celebrated its efficacy, ongoing
systematic investigation continues to untangle and confirm its pharmacological
potential, paving the path for its integration into modern medicine and
nutritional products. The continued learn and sustainable utilization of
Bauhinia purpurea are pivotal for harnessing its complete potential for human good-being
and environmental wellness.
