Bauhinia ampla ampla

Bauhinia ampla Span. var. ampla

Morpholigical description
Tree up to 13 m high or higher (?); young shoots thinly rusty pubescent, soon glabrous.

Leaves: stipules linear, sickle-shaped, acute, subglabrous, c. 1 cm long, apparently tardily caducous; petiole up to 3 cm; lamina ovate to lanceolate, up to 22 by 11 cm; 7(-9)-nerved; apex shortly acuminate, base rounded to truncate.

Inflorescence short, terminal or lateral racemes; pedicels thick, c. 2 mm long; bracts ovate-acute, c. 2 mm; bracteoles similar, inserted at the base of the pedicel.

Flowers: Buds clavate, with claw-shaped apex, fugaciously rusty puberulous. Hypanthium stout, 8-10 cm long. Sepals 5, strap-shaped, sparsely pubescent, acute with swollen apex, 4.5-5 by 0.5 cm. Petals white, red at base, obovate, 5-9 cm long, sessile. Stamens 10 fertile; filaments 4-5.5 cm, glabrous; anthers ovate elliptic, c. 1 cm. Stipe of ovary glabrous as ovary and style; stipe emerging 3-4 cm; style c. 1 cm; stigma indistinct.

Pods glabrous, up to 30 by 7-8 cm.

Seeds up to 10, c. 2.5 cm diameter, glossy, brown.

Distribution
Malesia: Timor, only known from few localities.

Habitat
Rocky slopes up to 750 m altitude; near the sea.

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