Hooker’s Bauhinia

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Hooker’s Bauhinia
• Pegunny
• White Bauhinia
• White Flowered Bauhinia
• Hooker's bauhinia
• Queensland-ebony
• mountain-ebony
• white-flower bauhinia

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Bauhinia hookeri
• Bauhinia hookeri var. broomensis

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Fabales. Finally, it is a member of the family Fabaceae and is categorized under the genus Lysiphyllum.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution across several distinct regions. Within the Indian Subcontinent, it can be found growing in India. Its range extends significantly into Australia, where it inhabits the Northern Territory. Additionally, the species is documented in the state of Queensland. Finally, its presence is also noted in Western Australia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Lysiphyllum hookeri is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, allowing it to persist in its environment over many years rather than completing a single reproductive cycle. Throughout its existence, the plant maintains an evergreen habit, ensuring that its foliage remains functional and present across successive growing seasons rather than shedding all leaves annually. This combination of a long-term perennial lifecycle and continuous evergreen foliage supports its stable ecological presence and sustained metabolic activity.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Lysiphyllum hookeri is characterized by its substantial stature, reaching a mean plant height of approximately 10 m. As a woody tree, it exhibits a robust and self-supporting growth form, functioning independently without the need for climbing structures or parasitic attachments. The plant is strictly terrestrial in its ecological habit, neither functioning as an epiphyte nor possessing aquatic or semiaquatic traits. Its structural development is defined by a woody composition, ensuring it remains a self-supporting, independent organism within its habitat.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

10 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Lysiphyllum hookeri is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency in varying environmental conditions. As a C3 plant, it utilizes the enzyme Rubisco to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide directly into the Calvin cycle, a mechanism typical of many woody tropical species. Furthermore, this species does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms, and instead relies on the uptake of nitrogenous compounds available within the soil substrate.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

Reproduction in Lysiphyllum hookeri is characterized by the production of seeds that exhibit specific physical dimensions essential to its dispersal and germination processes. The seed mass of this species shows a notable range of variability, with an observed minimum mass of 0.31957 g and a maximum mass reaching 0.4 g. On average, the seed mass is recorded at 0.346493633 g, reflecting a consistent biological investment in seed size within its natural habitat.

Seed mass max:

0.4 g

Seed mass mean:

0.346493633 g

Seed mass min:

0.31957 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Lysiphyllum hookeri 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 leaf.

Leaf

1. Phytochemistry

Activities

Lysiphyllum hookeri has 2 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antidiabetic, Antioxidant.

Antidiabetic

1. Phytochemistry

Antioxidant

1. Phytochemistry

Conditions

Lysiphyllum hookeri has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include antioxidant.

Antioxidant

1. Phytochemistry