Scientific name: Bauhinia forficata

Familia: Fabaceae

Origin: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru and Bolivia.

Popular names: cow's paw; cow's claw.

Natural occurrence: widely distributed in tropical and subtropical forests.

Characteristics: Bauhinia forficata is commonly known as “cow's paw” due to the shape of its leaves, which are composed of two leaflets united at the base.

Uses: its wood is used in the production of paper, firewood and carpentry parts, and its leaves are animal food. Its leaves and stem are used in folk medicine to treat different types of pathologies, especially diabetes, infections, pain and inflammatory processes.

See all tree and shrub species mapped on Bahiana