Authors: K. & S.S. Larsen
Morphological description (see also description of Genus Bauhinia ; Subgenus Phanera and Section Palmatifolia )
franckii Bauhinia all FM16
Large climber; young branches furrowed, appressed ferrugineous pubescent as all young parts, inclusive the inflorescences.
Leaves: stipules obovate, c. 1 cm long, early caducous; petioles 5-7 cm; lamina suborbicular, up to 11.5 cm across, often broader than long; base shallowly cordate, apex emarginate; nerves 9; upper surface glabrous, lower finely ferrugineous pubescent.
Inflorescence large and broad, 10-12-flowered corymbs; bracts early caducous (not observed); bracteoles narrow lanceolate, c. 5 mm long, inserted below the middle of the pedicel; pedicel striate, 5-6 cm.
Flowers: Buds furrowed, ovate apiculate, 15 by 5-7 mm. Hypanthium tubular, striate, 2-3 cm long, c. 2 mm wide. Calyx splitting into 3 patent lobes. Petals pale red, subequal, 4-4.5 cm long including the claw, 2-2.5 cm broad, glabrous on ventral side, finely pubescent on the dorsal towards the claw. Stamens 3 fertile; filaments c. 4 mm, hairy, enlarged towards the base; anthers globose-ellipsoid, hairy, c. 2 mm, opening by a central pore in each theca; staminodes absent or minute (not observed). Ovary hairy throughout to the stigma; stipe short; ovary 5-7 mm; style 12-15 mm; stigma large, capitate.
Pods unknown.
Distribution
Malesia: Malay Peninsula (endemic to Frasers Hill, Pahang).
Note
De Wit, (1956: 498), refers to the original collection of Franck under Bauhinia bidentata , where he suggests that this remarkable plant may be a 'gigas ' form of his var. fraseri . A new collection of Stone from the same area shows that the population is still existing and taxonomically different from B. bidentata.