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Clitoria fairchildiana R. A. Howard

Family Name:	Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Synonyms:	Neurocarpum racemosum, Ternatea racemosa, Centrosema spicata, Clitoria racemosa
Common Name:	Orchid Tree, Butterfly Pea Tree, Philippine Pigeonwings

Full Sun

Moderate Water

Herb or Spice

Suitable for Roadsides

Fragrant Plant

Ornamental Flowers

Tree

Clitoria fairchildiana, flowers & seed pods

Clitoria fairchildiana, flowers, buds & immature green seed pods

Clitoria fairchildiana, mature brown seed pod

Clitoria fairchildiana, trifoliate compound leaves

Clitoria fairchildiana, flowering & fruiting tree

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Authority
Name Status (botanical)
Synonyms
Common Names
Comments

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon)
Plant Growth Form	Tree (Small (6m-15m))
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial

Mode of Nutrition	Autotrophic
Plant Shape	Rounded, Weeping / Pendulous
Maximum Height	8 m to 15 m

Biogeography

Native Distribution	Brazil
Preferred Climate Zone	Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal

Description and Ethnobotany

Others - Plant Morphology	Small to medium-sized tree with low branching and pendulous branches. Crown bushy and rounded. Significant nitrogen-fixing with high degree of root nodulation.Leaves trifoliate with rough texture, evergreen in Singapore but winter-deciduous in native Brazil. Flowers pale violet, pea-like, slightly fragrant, produced in pendant inflorescences. Fruits are long woody explosive pods, maturing from green to brown, with several seeds.Can be planted in groves for screening or create a forested effect. Also suitable as shade tree in parks. If used along streets and in carparks, lower branches may need to be pruned for clearance.May be prone to aphids. Host plant for sucking pest Euphalerus clitoriae psyllids -- small (2-5 mm long), soft-bodied insect resembling miniature cicada, which lays eggs at bottom of leaf surface, and feeds on leaves and branches, causing yellowing and shedding of foliage.Species epithet 'fairchidiana' named after David Grandison Fairchild (1869 - 1954), American botanist and agricultural explorer for USDA, responsible for introducing more than 200,000 types of exotic species and agricultural varieties to USA.
Ethnobotanical Uses	Edible Plant Parts : Edible Flowers Food (Herb and Spice) Others: Blue anthocyanin pigment in flower petals sometimes used to dye Peranakan kueh (glutinous rice cakes). Anti-inflammatory rotenoids isolated from roots, supporting traditional use of Clitioria species extracts to treat inflammatory conditions.

Others - Plant Morphology

Small to medium-sized tree with low branching and pendulous branches. Crown bushy and rounded. Significant nitrogen-fixing with high degree of root nodulation.Leaves trifoliate with rough texture, evergreen in Singapore but winter-deciduous in native Brazil. Flowers pale violet, pea-like, slightly fragrant, produced in pendant inflorescences. Fruits are long woody explosive pods, maturing from green to brown, with several seeds.Can be planted in groves for screening or create a forested effect. Also suitable as shade tree in parks. If used along streets and in carparks, lower branches may need to be pruned for clearance.May be prone to aphids. Host plant for sucking pest Euphalerus clitoriae psyllids -- small (2-5 mm long), soft-bodied insect resembling miniature cicada, which lays eggs at bottom of leaf surface, and feeds on leaves and branches, causing yellowing and shedding of foliage.Species epithet 'fairchidiana' named after David Grandison Fairchild (1869 - 1954), American botanist and agricultural explorer for USDA, responsible for introducing more than 200,000 types of exotic species and agricultural varieties to USA.

Ethnobotanical Uses

Edible Plant Parts : Edible Flowers
Food (Herb and Spice)
Others: Blue anthocyanin pigment in flower petals sometimes used to dye Peranakan kueh (glutinous rice cakes). Anti-inflammatory rotenoids isolated from roots, supporting traditional use of Clitioria species extracts to treat inflammatory conditions.

Landscaping Features

Desirable Plant Features	Ornamental Flowers, Fragrant (Flowers) (Day)
Landscape Uses	Roadside Tree / Palm, General, Shade Providing Tree / Palm, Hedge / Screening
Thematic Landscaping	Naturalistic Garden

SGMP Treatment
Usage Hazard - Cons	Weak Branches

Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal

Pollination Method(s)	Biotic (Fauna) (Insects (Bee))
Seed or Spore Dispersal	Abiotic (Explosive Dehiscence)

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Full Sun
Water Preference	Moderate Water
Plant Growth Rate	Fast

Rootzone Tolerance	Fertile Loamy Soils, Well-Drained Soils
Maintenance Requirements	Moderate
Diseases	May be prone to aphids.
Pest(s)	Associated with
Propagation Method	Seed, Stem Cutting

Foliar

Foliage Retention	Evergreen
Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s)	Rough, Raised / Sunken Veins

Foliar Type	Compound (Trifoliate)
Foliar Arrangement Along Stem	Alternate
Foliar Shape(s)	Non-Palm Foliage (Lanceolate)
Foliar Venation	Pinnate / Net
Foliar Margin	Entire
Foliar Apex - Tip	Acuminate
Typical Foliar Area	Notophyll ( 20.25cm2 - 45 cm2 )
Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio	3.0 (Tree - Intermediate Canopy)

Non - Foliar and Storage

Trunk Type (Non Palm)	Woody
Bark Colour(s)	Greyish-white
Mature Bark Texture	Cracked, Smooth

Stem Type & Modification	Woody
Root Type	Underground (Tap Root, Fibrous Root)

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower & Plant Sexuality	Bisexual Flowers
Flower Colour(s)	Purple
Flower Symmetry	Bilateral

Inflorescence Type	Raceme
Flowering Period	Free-Flowering
Flowering Habit	Polycarpic

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s)	Brown
Fruit Classification	Simple Fruit
Fruit Type	Dehiscent Dry Fruit , Legume / Pod

Image Repository

Images

Others

Master ID	1521
Species ID	2814
Flora Disclaimer	The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.