Author: (de Wit) Cusset
Morphological description (see also description of Genus Bauhinia ; Subgenus Phanera and Section Phanera)
Large tendrilled climber; young branches grooved, greyish-brown, short tomentose.
Leaves: stipules ovate-acute, tomentose, c. 3 mm, early caducous; intrastipular trichomes numerous, delicate; petiole stout, 4-6 cm, reddish-brown pubescent; lamina ovate-orbicular, 11-15 cm diameter, 13-nerved, bifid 2/5 with rather broad sinus; lobes broadly deltoid, ± acute, base deeply cordate; upper surface greyish-brown tomentose in young leaves, later subglabrous except for the nerves; lower reddish-brown pubescent particularly on the nerves.
Inflorescence short, subcorymbose, 5-15 cm long, with light brownish pubescent axis; pedicels light brown tomentose, angulate, c. 2.5 cm; bracts ovate-oblong, acute, c. 6 mm long, tomentose outside, thinly pubescent inside; bracteoles similar, somewhat narrower and shorter, inserted above the middle of the pedicel.
Flowers: Buds light brown tomentose, broadly ellipsoid, 10-14 mm. Hypanthium tubular, striate, c. 13 mm long. Calyx splitting into 2-4(-5) segments, inside glabrous. Petals white, densely brown pubescent outside, glabrous inside, obovate with crenulate margins, 25 by 12-15 mm, with a short claw. Stamens 3 fertile, filaments glabrous, 3-3.5 cm; anthers 6-8 mm, broadly elliptic, opening by a longitudinal slit; staminodes 4-5, subulate, 2-6 mm long. Ovary recurved, golden tomentose, c. 7 mm, on a 3 mm long, glabrous stipe; style tomentose, as long as ovary; stigma small, capitate.
Pods dehiscent, strap-shaped, 26 by 5 cm, reddish-brown tomentose.
Seeds (young) c. 10, flat, orbicular, c. 12 mm diameter.
Distribution
Malesia : endemic to the Anambas Islands.
Note
This species is only known from the type collection which was annotated by M.R. Henderson: 'Common here, usually in secondary growth and open places, but rarely in forest', altitude 30 m. De Wit, (1956: 456), regards it as closely related to the Indian species B. vahlii Wight & Arn., but this is hardly the case.