White bauhinia, Zambezi coffee
Bauhinia petersiana

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

An untidy spreading bush. It grows 3-4 m high. It can be 9 m high. The bark is dark and powdery and flakes off in strips. The leaves have lobes for almost half their length. The lobes are oval. They are 3.5-6 cm long and 3-8 cm wide. The base of the leaf is deeply lobed. The flowers are long and crinkled with white petals. Flowers are 8 cm long by 1-1.5 cm wide. The fruit is a large brown pod. These are 12-18 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. They split open rapidly forming a spiral.

There are about 250-350 Bauhinia species. Most are in the tropics. Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in woodland and wooded grassland at medium and low altitudes. It is often on termite mounds. It grows from 120-1800 m altitude. It is more common in the lowlands. It is damaged by drought or frost. It needs well-drained soil. In Zimbabwe it grows in areas with a rainfall between 600-750 mm per year. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Australia, Botswana, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Tanzania (country/location of origin), Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The ground seeds are sometimes used as a coffee substitute. The seeds are eaten green and ripe. Ripe seeds are roasted and peeled and pounded into a gritty meal. The nectar of the flowers is eaten The root is eaten raw and also baked and pounded.

Edible parts

Seeds - coffee, seeds, nectar, root

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds. The seeds usually grow quickly. The roots are only shallow.

Its other names

Local names

Chingando, Imondo, Koffiebeesklou, Michingando, Mpando, Mpandula, Mpapa, Muauwa, Mubondo, Mumwando, Mun’ando, Mupondo, Muuwa

Synonyms

Perlebia petersiana (Bolle) Schmitz;