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Kachnar
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Kachnar
ative Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Kachnar, Orchid Tree, Varigated Bauhinia • Adi: Okjok • Assamese: কাঞ্চন kanchan • Bengali: রক্তকাঞ্চন raktakanchan • Gujarati: કાંચનાર kanchnar • Hindi: कचनाल Kachnal, कचनार Kachnar • Kannada: ಕಾಂಚನಾರ Kanchanaara, ಕಂಚುವಾಳ Kanchuvaala, ಕೆಂಪು ಮಂದಾರ Kempu mandaara, ಉಳಿಪೆ Ulipe, ಕೋವಿದಾರ Kovidaara, ಸಾರಲ Saarala • Malayalam: കൊങ്ങു konnu, കോവിദാരം kovidaram, മന്ദാരം mandaram, ഉങ്ങു unnu • Manipuri: ꯆꯤꯡꯊ꯭ꯔꯥꯑꯣ Chingthrao • Marathi: कांचन kanchan, कांचनार kanchnar, कोविदार kovidar, रक्तकांचन raktakanchan • Nepali: कोइरालो koiralo • Oriya: ୟୁଗପତ୍ର jugapatra, କରକ karaka, କୋବିଦାର kobidara, ରକ୍ତକଞ୍ଚନ raktakanchana, ଶାତ କୁମ୍ଭ sata kumbha, ସ୍ବଳ୍ପ କେଶରୀ swalpa kesari, ତାମ୍ର ପୁଷ୍ପ tamra pushpa • Pali: कोविळार kovilara • Punjabi: ਕਚਨਾਲ kachnal, ਕਚਨਾਰ kachnar • Sanskrit: काञ्चनारः kanchanara, कोविदारः Kovidaar, चमरिकः Chamarik, कुद्दलः, कुद्दालः Kuddal, कुदारः Kudaar, युगपत्रकः Yugapatrak • Tamil: செம்மந்தாரை cem-mantarai, சிவப்புமந்தாரை civappu-mantarai, மலையாத்தி malai-y-atti, பெரியவாத்தி periya-v-atti, பெருமந்தாரை peru-mantarai, வரையாத்தி varai-y-atti, வடராசி vataraci • Tangkhul: Haochokwon, Haojakwon, Bahuwon • Telugu: కాంచనము kanchanamu • Urdu: کچنار kachnar • Mizo: Vau-be Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Bauhinia variegata    Family: Caesalpiniaceae (Gulmohar family)

Kachnar is closely related to peacock flower and to the tree many consider the world's most beautiful, the royal poinciana - and it shows! Orchid tree is staggeringly beautiful when in bloom - and it blooms for several months! Orchid tree grows 20-40 ft tall and 10-20 ft wide with a spreading crown of briefly deciduous leaves which are 4-6 in across and rounded with lobed ends and heart shaped bases. The leaves are shaped a little like a cow's hoof. The flowers are reminiscent of showy orchids, with five irregular, usually slightly overlapping petals in shades of magenta, lavender, purplish blue or even white. The flowers often make their first appearance in late winter while the tree is bare of leaves. The blooming period then lasts until early summer. The flowers are 3-5 in across and carried in clusters at the branch tips. A postal stamp was issued by the Indian Postal Department to commemorate this tree.

Identification credit: Tabish Photographed in Delhi & Imphal.

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