Bauhinia kockiana Korth. var. kockiana
Morphological description
Large, tendrilled liana with flattened stems which may reach up to at least 30 m; young shoots ± hairy, usually reddish-brown tomentose, later glabrous.
Leaves entire, glabrous or sparsely hairy when young, shining on upper surface; stipules auriculate, puberulous, 4-7 mm long, early caducous; petiole usually short, c. 5 mm, reddish brown puberulous; lamina chartaceous to coriaceous, 7-13 by 4-6 cm, narrowly ovate, elliptic to oblong, apex acuminate, often with a slightly emarginate tip, usually 3-nerved, sometimes sub-5-nerved, base obtuse.
Inflorescence lateral and terminal corymbs or short racemes, often broader than long, varying in hairiness but in early stages and the axis usually reddish or brownish tomentose; pedicels 4-6(-7) cm; bracts ovate-oblong, c. 1 cm, caducous; bracteoles linear, few mm long, inserted below the middle.
Flowers: Buds globose, apiculate, ± prominently longitudinally ridged, 3-5 mm diameter. Hypanthium narrow tubular, finely striate, 11-18 mm long, 1-2 mm diameter, only slightly dilated at the base. Calyx splitting into 2-3 segments, glabrous inside. Petals yellow to orange turning red, short-clawed, broadly obovate with crenulate, undulate or flat margin, 2-2.5 cm long; outside hairy, inside almost glabrous. Fertile stamens 3; filaments glabrous, up to 8 mm long; anthers small, ellipsoid, 2-3 mm; reduced stamens and staminodes 3-5. Ovary shortly stipitate, 5-9 mm, brownish or reddish hairy, at least along the sutures; style c. 6 mm, glabrous or nearly so; stigma capitate.
Pods narrowly elliptic, glabrous, c. 15 cm long.
Seeds flat, broadly ovate, c. 2 cm across.
Distribution
Malesia: widely distributed from the Malay Peninsula (not reaching Thailand) throughout Borneo to the Lesser Sunda Islands; not reaching the Philippines.
Habitat
From sea level up to 1200 m, in a variety of habitats.
Vernacular names
Tagulogulog, Urat tembadau, Tali adap, Tongkurangan (N Borneo), Djemprangan (E Borneo), Tagalap (Dusun Kina-batabgab); Akar djangan (Sumatra, Jambi).
Uses
According to de Wit (1956: 521), in Sabah used in religious ceremonies.