Bauhinia phoenicea is a large climbing shrub of the family Leguminosae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. This species is one of the very few climbing Bauhinia in India and is endemic to the Western Ghats. The plant is locally known as Vallimandaram and often reaches the canopy of tall trees in Semi-evergreen and evergreen forests in the Western Ghats.
Test and Illustration : Dr. Anoop P Balan
