Author: Stapf
Morphological description (see also description of Genus Bauhinia ; Subgenus Phanera and Section Phanera)
Tendrilled climber ; young branches glabrous.
Leaves: stipules early caducous (not seen); petioles glabrous, 3--5 cm; lamina entire, glabrous, 9--11 by 6--7 cm; 9--11-nerved; apex acuminate to caudate; upper surface glabrous, lower sparsely appressed puberulous to subglabrous.
Inflorescences of lateral and terminal, few-flowered corymbs; pedicels c. 5 cm, almost glabrous; bracts early caducous (not seen); bracteoles subulate, 2--3 mm, inserted below the middle.
Flowers: Buds clavate-ellipsoid, apiculate, glabrous or nearly so, truncate at base. Hypanthium c. 1 cm, glabrous, striate, not or only faintly dilated at base, distinctly contracted above the pedicel. Calyx splitting into 5 glabrous, reflexed sepals. Petals white (?), lanceolate with a short, distinct claw; glabrous or subglabrous on both sides, c. 2 cm including the claw. Stamens 3 fertile, not exserted; filaments c. 1.5 cm; anthers elliptic, 1--2 cm, opening by a longitudinal slit; staminodes 2--3, c. 2 mm with minute anthers. Ovary densely brownish silky hairy, on a short stipe; style short, silky hairy; stigma peltate, c. 5 mm across.
Pods unknown.
Distribution
Malesia : Borneo (only known from Mt Kinabalu, 600--700 m altitude).
Note
This is one of several species of Bauhinia endemic to Mt Kinabalu. De Wit, 1956 referred it to Bauhinia semibifida as a variety. Larsen & Larsen (1996) have maintained it as a distinct species because of the entire leaves, unique in this group.