About Bauhinia tomentosa L.
Bauhinia tomentosa L., commonly called yellow bauhinia, is a small tree that reaches a maximum height of 4 meters (13 feet). It produces drooping slender branches and multiple scrambling stems. Its bark is greyish, smooth, and sometimes covered in fine hairs; this hairy characteristic gives the species its specific epithet tomentosa. The plant’s greenish leaves are elliptic, deeply divided, and have entire margins. Its flowers are bell-shaped, with large yellow petals that bear a dark maroon patch at their base. After flowering, it produces a pale-brown pod as fruit. Extracts taken from this plant’s roots have demonstrated in vitro antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria.
