Lysiphyllum

Morphological Summary

Genus of trees and shrubs in the family Fabaceae (subfamily Cercidoideae) distributed in Australia (mainly the tropical and subtropical north) and Southeast Asia. They are the Australian equivalents of Asian Bauhinia, to which they were previously assigned. They are characterised by their distinctive bilobed leaves (butterfly- or horseshoe-shaped) and their showy white or pink flowers. L. cunninghamii (the mountain bauhinia) is an important Australian species for the ecosystem of northern Australia.