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Other Names
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Food - Its flowers and buds are used to prepare pickles. Ornamental - It is grown as an ornamental tree and is a very common shade tree in agroforestry. Medicine - It is an important traditional medicine, particularly for gastrointestinal disorders.
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan
It grows in well-drained soils in open areas, secondary forests, and as an ornamental plant.
Known for its striking, orchid-like flowers.
It is a deciduous or semi-deciduous tree, growing 10-15 m tall.
Stem is smooth and grayish-brown with age, with conspicuous branching. Branches tend to be upright, forming a spreading or irregular crown.
Leaves are most recognizable for being deeply divided at the apex, appearing almost like two separate lobes. They are simple, broad-obovate, and typically 10-20 cm wide. The upper surface is smooth and green, while the lower surface is paler. Leaf margins are entire (smooth). Leaves are arranged alternately on the stem.
Flowers are showy and fragrant, with five clawed petals that are orchid-like in shape. They are typically purplish-pink to magenta, but can also be white. Flowers are 8-12 cm in diameter and appear in clusters at the ends of branches, often during leaf fall.
Fruit is a flat, oblong pod, 20-30 cm long and 2-3 cm wide. It is brown and woody when mature, splitting open to release numerous flat, brown seeds.
Flowering: January – June
Fruiting: August – October