Orange. Bauhinia kockiana, Kock's Bauhinia, KLCC Park, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1830 brought the diminishment of The Netherlands in Europe; the southern Netherlands broke away from the House of Orange and soon, after a ten-day battle, became independent as the kingdom of Belgium (1831). But in the far east in the Dutch colony of the East Indies (now Indonesia), The Netherlands was expanding its power. On March 28, 1830 the 'rebellion' of Prince Diponegoro (1785-1855) was crushed by his surrender to Dutch governor-general Hendrik Merkus de Kock (1779-1845).
De Kock was a busy civil servant (in the Batavian Republic and later in the Dutch monarchy) fulfilling a great variety of functions, but he was also a patron of the sciences. Hence Pieter Willem Korthals (1807-1892), botanist and plant-collector in Indonesia, named this Bauhinia for him (1840).
Beautiful orange and yellow Bauhinia graces many tropical parks all over the world. All parts of the plant including its pods are edible, e.g. as boiled vegetable. It also has traditional medicinal uses, e.g. for treating STDs and its bark is used to alleviate toothaches.
Orange. Bauhinia kockiana, Kock's Bauhinia, KLCC Park, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1830 brought the diminishment of The Netherlands in Europe; the southern Netherlands broke away from the House of Orange and soon, after a ten-day battle, became independent as the kingdom of Belgium (1831). But in the far east in the Dutch colony of the East Indies (now Indonesia), The Netherlands was expanding its power. On March 28, 1830 the 'rebellion' of Prince Diponegoro (1785-1855) was crushed by his surrender to Dutch governor-general Hendrik Merkus de Kock (1779-1845).
De Kock was a busy civil servant (in the Batavian Republic and later in the Dutch monarchy) fulfilling a great variety of functions, but he was also a patron of the sciences. Hence Pieter Willem Korthals (1807-1892), botanist and plant-collector in Indonesia, named this Bauhinia for him (1840).
Beautiful orange and yellow Bauhinia graces many tropical parks all over the world. All parts of the plant including its pods are edible, e.g. as boiled vegetable. It also has traditional medicinal uses, e.g. for treating STDs and its bark is used to alleviate toothaches.