Author N.E. Brown
Morphological description (see also description of Genus Bauhinia and Subgenus Bauhinia )
Shrub , sometimes semiscandent but without tendrils, young branches ± densely brown puberulous.
Leaves: stipules linear, 1-3 mm long; petiole slender, puberulous, 1-1.5 cm; lamina suborbicular, usually broader than long up to 5 cm diameter, 7-nerved; bifid 1/5-1/4 with broad sinus; tip of lobes rounded, base broadly to shallowly cordate; upper surface glabrous, lower sparsely puberulous and with a marginal zone of yellow scales (galpinii Bauhinia fl/lf 428805 ).
Inflorescence: lateral, short, few-flowered racemes, axis rusty puberulous; pedicels puberulous, c. 5 mm long; bracts subulate, 2 mm; bracteoles minute, setaceous, inserted at the base of hypanthium (galpinii Bauhinia infl 386312).
Flowers: Buds spindle-shaped, acute, 2-2.5 cm. Hypanthium 2-3 cm long, narrow, infundibuliform, densely brown puberulous, finely striate. Calyx brown puberulous, splitting spathaceous, finally reflexed, c. 2 cm long. Petals spathulate, glabrous, 3-3.5 cm long including the 1.5-2 cm long claw, pinkish red to brick-red. Stamens 3, stout, fleshy, nearly as long as petals, glabrous; anthers ellipsoid-oblong, early caducous, opening by a longitudinal slit; staminodes 7, capillary, few mm long. Ovary 1 cm, rusty puberulous, stipitate; stipe c. 1 cm long, hairy as ovary; style c. 5 mm, glabrous towards the stigma; stigma inconspicuous (galpinii Bauhinia fl 428806).
Pods thick-valved, 5-7 by 1.5 cm, glabrous, stipitate; stipe c. 1 cm long.
Seeds 3-5, glossy, brown, oblong to obovate, c. 8 mm across.
Distribution
Native to S Africa. Introduced and cultivated throughout the tropics, but in Malesia not commonly grown.