This tree has been bothering us for a long time. Assuming that pod belongs
to this tree only, we have to completely reject the possibility of B. x
blakeana.(you will find a lot of reports of pods on the net, but all cases
of misidentification). Let us see the alternatives keeping this table in
mind.
http://www.amjbot.org/content/92/3/525/T2.large.jpg
B. purpurea has only 3 fertile stamens, petals (more so upper petal) are
much narrower and quite separated. This should exclude this also.
While comparing this photograph with mine (of B. x blakeana) I was curious
about the width of upper petal, more in above pplant. While checking
stamens closely I noticed that of the five stamens (in above plant, mine,
as well as below link of B. variegata), three of the stamens a slightly
longer with thicker pinkish filaments, two slightly shorter with thinner
whitish filaments. Also the width of petals (especially upper overlapped
petal) leads me to suggest that this tree may a darker coloured form of B.
variegata only
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bauhinia_variegata_(Kachnar)_in_Hyderabad,_AP_W_IMG_1463.jpg
http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=116589&flora_id=2
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/botd.php?date=2011-06-10#b
But then perhaps flowering period has also to be explored. In Delhi B. x
blakeana flowers from middle of November to about middle of December, B.
purpurea flowers in September-October and B. variegata in February-March.
The pattern in above garden may be kept in mind.
--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089
http://www.gurcharanfamily.com/
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/
On Fri, Dec 28, 2012 at 7:38 AM, radha veach <[email protected]> wrote:
> Is that pinkish colour of the petioles and the pink tinge of the new leaf
> normally a feature of B.x blakeana?
>
> I have never seen this.
>
> regards,
> Radha
>
>
> On 28 December 2012 20:51, jmgarg1 <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Some relevant feedback from another thread
>> https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!topicsearchin/indiantreepix/Bauhinia$20AND$20krugii/indiantreepix/lS9FmkgGfOE
>> :
>>
>> "I too think the tree label is wrong as 3 long and 2 short stamens are
>> clearly seen.* All features point to B. x blakeana, but I think the pod
>> shown by Raman ji in another thread needs to be closely checked. The pod
>> does not look like any of the two parental species or other species of
>> Bauhinia. It may well belong to another tree, or perhaps a climber.*
>> --
>> Dr. Gurcharan Singh"
>>
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: raman <[email protected]>
>> Date: 30 January 2012 14:55
>> Subject: [efloraofindia:105729] Trees of Lalbagh, Bangalore - Bauhinia x
>> blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree (Please Confirm)
>> To: [email protected]
>>
>>
>> This tree is the official floral emblem of Hong Kong and it is widely
>> cultivated in tropical regions. It is thought to be an accidental hybrid
>> between B. purpurea and B. variegata. It was first discovered on the
>> seashore in Hong Kong in 1908 and named after Sir Henry Blake, Governor of
>> Hong Kong from 1898 to 1903. After the handing back of the colony to China,
>> a special award was created to replace the British Imperial honours. The
>> award is called the Grand Bauhinia Medal, or GBM for short. A small
>> evergreen tree to around 7m tall. The bilobed leaves are dark green and
>> shiny, with raised yellowish-green veins. Compared to other Bauhinias, the
>> leaves of this one are huge, six to eight inches. The large, orchid-like
>> flowers are rich magenta purple with paler veins, and the uppermost petal
>> is darker towards the base. Flowers appear from February to November, with
>> the peak flowering time in September to October. This bauhinia is sterile
>> and rarely produces the large flat seed pods seen on other species.
>>
>> Raman
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> With regards,
>> J.M.Garg
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1
>> 'Creating awareness of Indian Flora & Fauna'
>> The whole world uses my Image Resource of more than a *thousand species*&
>> eight thousand images of Birds, Butterflies, Plants etc. (arranged
>> alphabetically & place-wise):
>> http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:J.M.Garg. You can also use
>> them for free as per Creative Commons license attached with each image.
>> For identification, learning, discussion & documentation of Indian Flora,
>> please visit/ join our Efloraofindia Google e-group:
>> http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix (more than 2015 members &
>> 1,39,500 messages on 30/11/12) or Efloraofindia website:
>> https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/ (with a species database
>> of more than 7500 species).
>> Also author of 'A Photoguide to the Birds of Kolkata & Common Birds of
>> India'.
>>
>
>
--
