Author: (de Wit) Cusset
Morphological description (see also description of Genus Bauhinia ; Subgenus Phanera and Section Phanera)
Tendrilled climber, young parts ± appressed puberulous, later glabrous.
Leaves: stipules very early caducous (not seen), scars small; petiole 3-4.5 cm long, slender; lamina broadly ovate to suborbicular, 6-8 cm diameter, rarely larger; 9-11-nerved; bifid 1/3 - 1/2 with rather wide sinus; tip of lobes obtuse, base deeply cordate; upper surface glabrous, lower glabrous except for a few hairs on the nerves.
Inflorescence elongate, stout, terminal racemes up to 40 cm with 10-15 flowers; axis reddish-brown puberulous; pedicels stout, 1.7-3 cm long, longitudinally furrowed, puberulous; bracts ovate lanceolate, c. 8 mm long, rusty puberulous, early caducous; bracteoles linear, smaller, inserted about the middle of the pedicel.
Flowers: (audax Bauh fl det Reinw f12 )Buds including hypanthium fusiform, ridged, appressed rusty puberulous, 4-5 by 1 cm. Hypanthium campanulate, slightly angulate, c. 1.5-2 cm long. Calyx splitting into 5 free sepals, fleshy, strap-shaped, acute, 2.5-3.5 cm. Petals greenish, of the same length as the sepals, narrowly lanceolate, gradually narrowing towards the claw, subglabrous, early caducous. Stamens 3 fertile; filaments stout, as long as sepals; anthers 2-2.5 cm long, opening by a longitudinal slit; staminodes 2, c. 1.5 cm. Ovary 1.5-2 cm, on a short thick, 7-10 mm long stipe, all rusty pubescent as the curved style, 1.5-2 cm; stigma indistinct.
Pods dehiscent, strap-shaped, up to 20 by 6 cm, beaked.
Seeds 4-7, flattened, orbicular, c. 2 cm diameter.
Distribution
Malesia: Southern part of the Malay Peninsula (Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Johore).
Habitat
Evergreen forests at low altitudes, not collected above 100 m.
Vernacular names
Aka kurutop hitam, Tapak kuda, Kelapong.