Butterfly tree

Bauhinia purpurea is a flowering plant in the Fabaceae family, with a native range in the Indian subcontinent and Myanmar. It has been widely introduced to other tropical and subtropical regions, including areas such as Taiwan, South Africa, Cuba, Brunei, Cook Islands, American Samoa, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Burundi, Iraq, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Burkina Faso, Micronesia, Maldives, Indonesia, India, Sao Tome and Principe, and Sri Lanka. The species is known by several common names, including Butterfly tree, orchid tree, purple bauhinia, camel's foot, and Hawaiian orchid tree. A note in botanical literature indicates an issue with the selection of a neotype for the species, with Isely's choice being considered the earliest formal type selection.