Phanera vahlii (Wight & Arn.) Benth.

Synonym: Bauhinia vahlii Wight & Arn.

Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae) – 

Common Names: Bhorla (भोर्ला in Nepali), Maloo Creeper, Malu, Camel’s Foot Creeper, Bhurja 

Bauhinia vahlii (now often classified as Phanera vahlii (Wight & Arn.) Benth.) is a large, vigorous woody climber (liana) in the Fabaceae family, commonly known as Malu creeper, Maloo creeper, Camel's foot climber, or Bauhinia climber. It is also referred to as "Tata" in some Tharu community.

1. Botanical Description (Morphology)

Phanera vahlii is a robust, perennial, woody climber (liana) with stems attaining 10–30 m length and up to 20 cm diameter. Young stems, petioles and inflorescences are densely rusty-tomentose. It climbs by means of paired, circinate tendrils at the tips of branches. The plant is semi-evergreen to evergreen in tropical/subtropical climates.


Leaves: Alternate, simple, large, cordate to sub-orbicular, 15–46 cm long and almost as broad, deeply bilobed (lobes reaching nearly to the middle, camel’s-foot shaped). Base cordate; 9–15 prominent nerves radiate from the base. Upper surface glabrous or sparsely hairy at maturity; lower surface densely tomentose. Petioles long (8–15 cm), hairy. 

Fig. 2. Large and bilobed leaves.

Flowers: White (fading to cream or yellowish), 2–3.5 cm across, fragrant, borne in large terminal corymbose racemes or panicles. Petals 5, shortly clawed, spathulate. Stamens 3 fertile + 7 staminodes. Flowering: March–June (pre-monsoon to early monsoon in Nepal). 


 Fig. 3. Inflorescence showing white flowers.

Fruit (Pod): Woody, flat, oblong-elliptic legume, 15–30 cm × 2.5–7.5 cm, rusty-tomentose when young, becoming dark brown and velvety at maturity. Indehiscent or tardily dehiscent, containing 6–12 seeds.


Image

Fig. 4. Mature woody pods hanging on the vine.


Seeds: Flat, suborbicular to reniform, dark brown, 2–3 cm × ~2 cm, hard-coated. Edible after roasting.
 

         Fig. 5. Flat, dark-brown seeds (scale in cm).


2. Distribution and Habitat

Native to the Indian subcontinent (Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh). In Nepal, it is widely distributed in tropical Terai plains (100–400 m) and subtropical lower hills/Churia hills up to 1,500 m. It thrives in moist deciduous forests, Shorea robusta (sal) forests, forest edges, open slopes, roadsides and scrub. Prefers well-drained yet moisture-retentive fertile loamy soils. It is a key component of Nepal’s tropical and subtropical forest ecosystems.

3. Ecology and Physiology

Phanera vahlii is a nitrogen-fixing liana (root nodules with Rhizobium). It is a strong canopy climber that can occasionally suppress host trees. Fast-growing (up to 15 m regrowth per year). Phenology: flowers in hot season; pods mature post-monsoon (July–December). Seeds dispersed by gravity, animals and water. It provides habitat, fodder and food for wildlife. Tolerant of seasonal drought once established but prefers humid monsoon conditions.

4. Agricultural/Cultivation Aspects

Although primarily a wild NTFP, P. vahlii has high potential for commercial cultivation in agroforestry systems, especially for leaf-plate (dona/pattal) production, edible seeds/pods, fodder and soil conservation.

Propagation:

  • Seeds (most common): Collect mature pods Dec–Feb; extract seeds; scarify or hot-water treatment (80°C for 5–10 min) improves germination (10–30 days). Sow in nursery beds/polybags in March–April or June–July.
  • Vegetative: Stem cuttings or air-layering possible but less common.
  • Tissue culture: Used in research for clonal propagation.

Planting: Spacing 3–5 m along boundaries, trellises, living supports (sissoo, sal, fruit trees) or on slopes. Best planted at onset of monsoon. Add FYM; no heavy inorganic fertilizers required due to N-fixation.

Management: Prune annually to control spread and promote branching/leaves. Irrigate young plants in dry spells. Intercrop with maize, pulses or horticultural crops in early years.

Harvesting:
  • Leaves: Year-round (sustainable plucking 3–4 times/year).
  • Pods/seeds: Post-monsoon when mature.
  • Yield: Not standardized; one mature vine can yield hundreds of leaves and 5–15 kg pods annually under good management.

Pests & Diseases: Generally hardy; occasional attack by leaf-eating caterpillars, aphids or fungal leaf spots. Manage with cultural practices and neem-based sprays.



Fig. 6. Traditional dona/patta plates and bowls made from stitched leaves – a major economic product.                                                                                Source: Youtube |  Crazyforflowers


Leaves as dining plates, food wraps and food packing material: Importance of renewable resources in Indian native culture

5. Economic Importance and Uses

Leaves: Largest use – stitched into eco-friendly plates (dona), bowls (dunu), food wrappers. Biodegradable alternative to plastic; high demand in Nepal/India for festivals, weddings, temples.

Seeds & Pods: Roasted seeds as nutritious snack/pulse (high protein ~25%, fat ~23%). Young pods as vegetable.

Bark/Fiber: Strong fibers for ropes, mats, baskets.

Fodder & Fuel: Leaves excellent livestock fodder; de-seeded pods as fuel.

Medicinal: Seeds (tonic, aphrodisiac); leaves (rheumatism, skin diseases); bark (tannins, astringent). Contains flavonoids, tannins, phenolics with antioxidant activity.

Other: Tannin-rich bark for leather; ornamental value; erosion control on slopes.

6. Conservation and Future Prospects

Not threatened (Least Concern). Sustainable wild harvesting and farm cultivation are encouraged under Nepal’s NTFP programs. Ideal for climate-resilient agroforestry, organic farming and rural livelihood enhancement in Terai and mid-hills.






References

Devi, S., & Kumar, S. S. (2022). The camel’s foot climber, Phanera vahlii (Wight & Arn.) Benth. (Fabaceae: Cercidoideae): Traditional economic uses and livelihood provider for tribals. Discovery, 58(71), Article A19. https://www.discoveryjournals.org/Species/current_issue/2022/v23/n71/A19.pdf

Kumar, S. S., & Solomon Raju, A. J. (2022). Phanera vahlii (Wight & Arn.) Benth. (Fabaceae): An important climber of India. Discovery, 58(71). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362590401

Lohani, I., & Sharma, K. R. (2023). Quantitative analysis and biological activities of Bauhinia vahlii Wight & Arn. growing in Nepal. Journal of Medicinal Plants, 22(85), 113–127. https://doi.org/10.61186/jmp.22.85.113

Bhandari, B., & GC, R. (2020). Bauhinia variegata L. Bauhinia vahlii Wight & Arn. Fabaceae. In R. M. Kunwar, H. Sher, & R. W. Bussmann (Eds.), Ethnobotany of the Himalayas (pp. 1–10). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45597-2_34-3

Plants of the World Online (POWO). (2024). Phanera vahlii (Wight & Arn.) Benth. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:513592-1

Press, J. R., Shrestha, K. K., & Sutton, D. A. (2000). Annotated checklist of the flowering plants of Nepal. The Natural History Museum. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=110&taxon_id=242424282

Sahu, S. C., et al. (various years). Studies on Bauhinia vahlii as NTFP (compiled in reviews). In Bauhinia vahlii: Plant to be explored – A review. Academia.edu. https://www.academia.edu/76067920/Bauhinia_Vahlii_Plant_to_Be_Explored

Sowndhararajan, K., Siddhuraju, P., & Manian, S. (2010). In vitro evaluation of the antioxidant activities in the differentially processed seeds from underutilized legume, Bauhinia vahlii Wight & Arn. Food Science and Biotechnology, 19(2), 503–509. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-010-0070-6

Uprety, Y., et al. (2016). Traditional use and management of NTFPs in Kangchenjunga Landscape, Eastern Himalaya. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 12, Article 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-016-0087-8 (Note: Includes Bauhinia vahlii records from Nepal)

Wikipedia contributors. (2025). Phanera vahlii. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 14, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phanera_vahlii

Mandal, T. N. (2014). Chemical analysis of fodder climbers found in Sunsari district, Nepal. Nepal Journal of Biosciences, 4, 39–44. https://doi.org/10.3126/njbs.v4i1.41682 (or available at https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/NJBS/article/view/41682)

Nemkul, C. M., et al. (2022). Assessment of antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of root extract of Phanera vahlii (Wight & Arn.) Benth. Botanica, 26(1), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.2478/bot-2022-0005      https://nepjol.info/index.php/BDPR/article/view/57030

Acharya, K. P. (n.d./circa 2000s). Indigenous knowledge on miscellaneous uses of plants in Nepal. Ethnobotany Research & Applications (or related open access version). https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1639&context=ebl

eFlora of India. (2024). Phanera vahlii. Retrieved from https://efloraofindia.com/efi/bauhinia-vahlii/

India Biodiversity Portal. (n.d.). Bauhinia vahlii Wight & Arn. Retrieved from https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/264731

CABI. (n.d.). Bauhinia vahlii (camel's foot climber). In CABI Compendium. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/cabicompendium.8655

Plants of the World Online (POWO). (2025). Phanera vahlii (Wight & Arn.) Benth. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:513592-1