Bauhinia petersiana

Bauhinia petersiana

''Bauhinia petersiana'' is a species of shrubs from Fabaceae family that can be found in Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The species is 2 metres in height.
Coffee Bush - Summer Flowers in the Wild A Coffee Bush in bloom, as photographed during the African summer.  Although the flowers appear paper like and fragile, the bush itself is as hardy as it gets.  

Local people will harvest immature seeds from the pods and roast them.  These seeds are then eaten directly.  Mature seeds, however, have a different role.  These seeds are roasted and pounded into a powder (which is used as a coffee substitute).   Bauhinia petersiana,Geotagged,Namibia,Spring,bauhinia petersiana,beautiful,bloom,flower,fragile,pink,summer,white

Habitat

In East Africa, the plant grows at altitudes of 150–1,850 metres , while in South Africa it can be found in dry places, such as the Kalahari desert at the altitudes around 350 metres . The plant can widstand frost.

Food

The seeds of this plant are considered a delicacy in Botswana, where they are used as nuts. Ground and roasted seeds are often used for coffee. The unripe seeds are not harmful to humans and can be eaten. Botswanians also use the plants seeds for oil.

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Taxonomy
KingdomPlantae
DivisionAngiosperms
ClassEudicots
OrderFabales
FamilyFabaceae
GenusBauhinia
SpeciesB. petersiana
Photographed in
Namibia