Bauhinia monandra

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata

Distribution

This plant is primarily distributed throughout the region of West Tropical Africa. Within this area, it can be found growing in the country of Ghana. Its presence is also documented across the landscape of Guinea. Furthermore, the species inhabits parts of the Ivory Coast and Liberia. Finally, its geographical range extends into the nation of Mali.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Bauhinia monandra is characterized by its broad adaptability across diverse altitudinal gradients, allowing it to inhabit a wide variety of environmental niches. This species demonstrates a significant vertical distribution, ranging from sea level up to a maximum elevation of 1550 m AMSL. This extensive elevational range suggests that the plant is capable of thriving in both lowland coastal environments and higher-altitude montane habitats. Such ecological plasticity enables it to encounter varying microclimates, temperature fluctuations, and moisture regimes, which likely influences its distribution patterns and physiological resilience across different topographical zones.

Elevational range max:

1550 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Bauhinia monandra is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons and establish a long-term presence in its habitat. Throughout its existence, it maintains an evergreen habit, retaining its foliage consistently rather than undergoing a seasonal shedding of leaves. This combination of a long-lived life cycle and continuous greenery enables the species to maintain stable photosynthetic activity and structural integrity over many years.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Bauhinia monandra is characterized by a woody growth form that can manifest as either a tree or a shrub. As a terrestrial species, it does not exhibit aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic lifestyles, functioning instead as an independent organism without parasitic tendencies. The plant typically reaches a mean height of approximately 6 meters. In terms of its structural habit, it is classified as a self-supporting plant rather than a climbing liana or vine, maintaining its upright posture through its woody composition.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

6 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Bauhinia monandra is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which governs its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency. Unlike succulent species, this plant does not exhibit succulence, meaning it lacks specialized parenchyma tissues for significant water storage within its stems or leaves. Furthermore, it does not function as a nitrogen fixer, lacking the symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria typically found in other members of the Fabaceae family.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Bauhinia monandra is characterized by specific seed morphological traits and dispersal mechanisms. The production of seeds involves a highly consistent seed mass, with the mean, maximum, and minimum values all recorded at 0.1998 g, indicating a very low level of variation in the weight of individual seeds. Regarding its dispersal strategy, the plant exhibits an anthropochorous syndrome, suggesting that its seeds are frequently moved or distributed through human activities.

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Seed mass mean:

0.1998 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Bauhinia monandra has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include seed.

Seed

1. Die Nahrung

Conditions

Bauhinia monandra has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include gastric ulcers.

Gastric ulcers

1. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine