Bauhinia Monandra (Pink Orchid Tree) Flower Cluster

'Bauhinia Monandra (Pink Orchid Tree) Flower Cluster

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'Bauhinia Monandra (Pink Orchid Tree) Flower Cluster'
by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch ©2013 Photography

Prints available at my RedBubble Gallery

I am finally seeing a sparse one or two isolated cluster groups of these lovely pink orchid tree (Dwarf Bauhinia monandra) flowers blossoming in our rural home garden, near Innisfail, Far North Queensland, Australia.

Unique flower features

• Butterfly-like
• Every cluster appears unique in composition
• The Dwarf Bauhinia Monandra flowers open first as red/rose with yellow tips
  then quickly change to a very sweet pink, then hold the pink
• A rare variety ~ develops pink orchid-like flowers with red blotches or dots, the uppermost one splotched with deeper red, yellow or yellow-margined
• The petals are spreading, each about 2.5 – 4 cm long

Tree’s characteristic features

• Small, rounded-crowned tree with smooth gray bark.
• Twin lobed leaves which are 4 to 6 inches across and cleft almost to the middle, giving the leaf the shape of a hoof print.
• Native of Burma

Since the recent late wet season’s few days of heavy rainfall (delivered by Ex Tropical Cyclone Oswald last week in January) a couple more have bloomed, but they are only still appearing in very limited quantities. Perhaps our tropical soil is not acidic enough but the tree plants are still relatively young!
I am observing their progress with keen interest.

Camera/Shoot Details
Handheld Pentax K-5 II s Lens DA* 50-135
1/100s@ f/2.8, ISO 200, FL.135mm
Date – Jan.13, 2013 Time – 18.04.11
Raw file ~ Processed/edited via CS2.

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Image ~ 'Bauhinia Monandra (Pink Orchid Tree) Flower Cluster'
by Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch ©2013 Photography

Fine Art and Photographic Prints
available at my RedBubble Gallery

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