Bauhinia vahlii Wight & Arn.

It is grown as an ornamental plant. The foliage is used as fodder and the seeds are eaten; bark yields good fibres for ropes etc. It is medicinally important and also yields tanning material. The seeds are tonic and aphrodisiac; leaves are demulcent and mucilaginous (Nadkarni, Ind. Mat. Med. ed. 3. 1: 183. 1954).

A huge climber, branches densely hairy, tendrils circinate, usually opposite the leaves. Leaves alternate, petiolate, petiole c. 7.5-9 cm long, cordate at the base, lobed at the apex, orbicular in shape, 10-46 cm long and almost as broad, sparsely hairy on the upper and densely hairy on the lower surface. Inflorescence terminal, subcorymbose, densely hairy raceme; bracteoles persistent. Flowers white turning buff with age. Hypanthium c. 5-8 mm long. Calyx 3-5 lobed, c. 10-12.5 mm long, splitting into 2-3 parts, densely villous. Petals 5, c. 1.7-4.3 cm long, shortly clawed, spathulate, hairy externally. Fertile stamens 3, 2-7 staminodes may be present. Ovary densely tomentose, style hairy. Pod woody, 22.5-30 cm long,5-7.5cm broad, dehiscent, rusty velvety, 6-12 seeded. Seed flat, dark brown, polished, c. 2.5 cm in diameter.

Tropical Himalaya (Kashmir to Sikkim), India.

Distribution: W. Pakistan (Punjab); India (Punjab, U.P., Bengal, Behar, Assam, Bombay, Central India, Madras); Nepal; Sikkim.

200-1300 m

Fl. Per.: April-June.

Pods of Phanera vahlii in Mathurapati Fulbari VDC Nepal

Phanera vahlii (common name Camel's Foot Climber)is a perennial creeper of the family Fabaceae native to the Indian subcontinent. It can grow as much as fifty feet (15 meters) a year. The two-lobed leaves are up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) in length. The stems and petioles are covered with reddish hair (trichomes).

The roasted seeds of this woody climber are edible.

Phanera species have 2–3 fertile stamens.