Bauhinia Racemosa
Family : Fabaceae
Common Name : Kanchan
English Name : Indian bidi leaf tree
Hindi Name : Katmauli, Apta, Asta
Telugu Name : Aare
Bengali Name : Banraji
Tree Characteristics :
Bauhinia racemosa is a small tree with a short, unbranched somewhat crooked bole and a spreading crown. It can grow up to 15 metres tall. The tree is more or less deciduous, but the new leaves are sometimes produced before the old leaves fall.
Nursery:
Flowering –March to June; Fruiting – November to December;
It can be propagated by direct sowing, transplanting of entire plants or stump planting. Soak seeds in cold water for 24hrs. Treated seed is sown in April-May in drills, 25 cms a part and covered to a depth of 5 mm and regularly watered and weeded. Germination starts in 4 to 10 days. Seedlings can be planted out in the very first rains. 12 to 15 months old plants are suitable for stump planting.
Economic Uses :
The gum and the leaves are used medicinally.
The inner bark yields a bast fibre that can be made into rude cordage, but which soon rots in water.
It is reddish in colour, very tough and strong, and has been used in the construction of bridges.
The stems are usually cut in July or August, the outer bark being stripped off and thrown away, while the inner layers are used for rope as wanted, being previously soaked in water, and are twisted wet.
The brown wood has irregular dark patches near the centre. It is hard. The wood is not much used, though it makes a good fuel.
