Common Names: Red Bauhinia, Pride of De Kaap, Red Orchid Tree
Local Names: 
Species ID: NMP-209 | wfo-0000212960

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Tracheophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Fabales

Family: Fabaceae

Genus: Bauhinia

Species: B. galpinii

Synonyms: Perlebia galpinii (N.E.Br.) A.Schmitz, Bauhinia punctata sensu Bolle

Bauhinia galpinii, commonly known as Red Bauhinia or Pride of De Kaap, is a semi-deciduous, scandent shrub or small tree, typically growing 1–3 m tall, occasionally reaching 6 m with support. Its key features include:

·       Bark: Grey to brown, smooth to slightly fissured

·       Leaves: Bilobed, butterfly-shaped, 3–7 cm long, 4–9 cm wide, green, with a notched apex

·       Flowers: Bright red to orange, 5–7 cm wide, borne in terminal or axillary racemes, blooming February–June

·       Fruit: Narrow, brown pod, 8–15 cm long, containing 4–8 flat seeds

Bauhinia galpinii is native to eastern and southern Africa, including Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, South Africa, and southern Zambia. It thrives in:

·       Ecosystems: Rainforest understories, swamp forests, forest clearings, savanna woodlands, and rocky slopes

·       Climate: Tropical to subtropical, with rainfall of 500–1,500 mm annually and temperatures of 15–35°C

·       Soils: Well-drained, sandy to loamy, often nutrient-poor

·       Altitude: Sea level to 1,200 m

Bauhinia galpinii is valued in southern African traditional medicine, with ethnopharmacological studies supporting its applications:

·       Antimicrobial Activity: In South Africa, ethanol leaf extracts inhibited Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 0.058 mg/mL) and Escherichia coli (MIC 0.5 mg/mL), supporting its use for gastrointestinal infections and diarrhea (Ahmed et al., 2014).

·       Anticonvulsant Activity: In Zimbabwe, leaf decoctions delayed pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in mice by 30% at 400 mg/kg, supporting its use for epilepsy and convulsions (Risa et al., 2004).

·       Antimutagenic Properties: Methanol leaf extracts exhibited antimutagenic effects in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, reducing DNA damage by 50% at 100 µg/mL, suggesting potential cancer-preventive properties (Verschaeve & Van Staden, 2008).

·       Fertility Enhancement: In South Africa, bark infusions are used to treat infertility; preliminary studies suggest flavonoid glycosides may modulate reproductive hormones (Samie et al., 2010).

·       Antidiarrheal Activity: Aqueous leaf extracts reduced diarrhea frequency in rats by 60% at 300 mg/kg, supporting its traditional use for gastrointestinal disorders (Ahmed et al., 2023).

The presence of flavonoids, triterpenoids, and fatty acids in leaf extracts underpins these pharmacological effects (Ahmed et al., 2014).

⚠  Toxicity Profile: No significant toxicity is documented for Bauhinia galpinii. Consultation with knowledgeable practitioners is advised before medicinal use due to limited clinical data.

·       Ornamental: Widely cultivated in warm climates (e.g., USA, Mexico, Australia) for its vibrant flowers and drought tolerance; it has naturalized in some areas without significant invasiveness (Fern, 2024).

·       Ecological: Supports pollinators like bees and butterflies; serves as a larval host for certain butterfly species, enhancing biodiversity.

·       Cultural: In South African traditions, root decoctions are used in rituals to treat stomach worms and enhance sexual performance (Mahwasane et al., 2013).

·       Forage: Leaves are occasionally grazed by livestock, though palatability is moderate (Feedipedia, 2023).

• Ahmed, A. S., McGaw, L. J., Elgorashi, E. E., Naidoo, V., & Eloff, J. N. (2014). The antimicrobial, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory activity and cytotoxicity of different fractions of four South African Bauhinia species used traditionally to treat diarrhoea. South African Journal of Botany, 93,

• Ahmed, A. S., McGaw, L. J., & Eloff, J. N. (2023). Bioactive compounds from the leaf extract of Bauhinia galpinii (Fabaceae) used as antidiarrhoeal therapy in southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany, 159, 686–696.

• Burkill, H. M. (1995). The useful plants of West Tropical Africa (2nd ed., Vol. 3). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

• Feedipedia. (2023). Bauhinia galpinii. Retrieved from https://www.feedipedia.org/node/332

• Kew Science. (n.d.). Bauhinia galpinii. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:481322-1

• Mahwasane, S. T., Middleton, L., & Boaduo, N. (2013). An ethnobotanical survey of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants used by the traditional healers of the Lwamondo area, Limpopo Province, South Africa. South African Journal of Botany, 88, 69–75.

• Risa, J., Risa, A., Adsersen, A., Gauguin, B., Stafford, G. I., Van Staden, J., & Jäger, A. K. (2004). Screening of plants used in southern Africa for epilepsy and convulsions in the GABA-benzodiazepine receptor assay. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 93(2–3), 177–182.

• Samie, A., Obi, C. L., Bessong, P. O., & Namrita, L. (2010). Activity profiles of fourteen selected medicinal plants from rural Venda communities in South Africa against fifteen clinical bacterial species. African Journal of Biotechnology, 4(12), 1443–1451.

• Verschaeve, L., & Van Staden, J. (2008). Mutagenic and antimutagenic properties of extracts from South African traditional medicinal plants. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 119(3), 575–587.

• Wikipedia - Bauhinia galpinii

• NParks Flora & Fauna Web

• Feedipedia - Bauhinia galpinii

• World Flora Online

• Global Biodiversity Information Facility

• Epoxy-β-ionone
• Azulene
• (E)-α-Ionone
• Phytol

Murtala Muhammad, Etal. (2023). Phytochemical analysis of Nigerian medicinal plants. NMPP-DB Project, Department of Biochemistry, Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil