Author: K. & S.S. Larsen
Morphological description (see also description of Genus Bauhinia ; Subgenus Phanera and Section Phanera)
Tendrilled woody climber; young branches ferrugineous pubescent, later glabrous.
Leaves: stipules early caducous (not seen); petiole 3-14 cm, ferrugineous pubescent to subglabrous; lamina ovate to suborbicular, 8.5-26 by 8-23 cm; 11-15(-17)-nerved; bifid 1/3 - 1/2 with narrow sinus; tip of lobes acute, slightly falcate, base cordate; upper surface glabrous, lower ferrugineous pubescent to subglabrous (andersonii Bauhinia lv FM5 ).
Inflorescence lateral and terminal, silky ferrugineous panicles on stout branches; partial inflorescences corymbs, later elongating to racemes, up to 26 cm; pedicels 1-3 cm; bracts lanceolate, 7-10 mm, early caducous; bracteoles linear, 3-5 mm, inserted about the middle of the pedicel or just below the hypanthium (andersonii Bauhinia infl/fl FM5 ).
Flowers: Buds narrowly obovoid with pointed apex, 11-15 mm. Hypanthium narrowly infundibuliform, only slightly broader than the pedicel, 10-13 mm long. Calyx splitting into 2-5, later reflexed, strap-shaped segments, pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Petals yellow to scarlet, unequal, ferrugineous-villous outside, glabrous inside, posterior one often smallest, lanceolate, short-clawed; 4 remaining ones circular to obovate, tapering towards the base, 20-30 mm long including the 3-8 mm long claw. Stamens 3 fertile; filaments glabrous to sparsely hairy, 5-7 mm; anthers glabrous, as long as filaments, opening by a longitudinal slit; staminodes 0 (or 1 minute). Ovary ferrugineous pubescent, 6-8 mm long, on a 2-4 mm long, pubescent stipe; style hairy, 10-13 mm, in bud S-shaped, straightening during anthesis; stigma capitate, c. 2 mm; ovules 6-11.
Young pods strap-shaped, ferrugineous tomentose, c. 18 cm long, broadest towards apex, c. 4 cm; beak c. 1 cm; ventral sutures raised (andersonii Bauhinia pod FM5 ). Mature pods and seeds not known.
Distribution
Malesia: endemic to the Malay Peninsula (Kelantan and Pahang).
Habitat
Limestone mountains at altitudes about 400 m.