Author: L.
Morphological description (see also description of Genus Bauhinia and Subgenus Bauhinia )
(tomentosa Bauh compl FT2 )
Tree up to 4 m; young branches brownish pubescent.
Leaves: stipules linear, c. 1 cm; petiole pubescent, 1-3 cm; lamina suborbicular, often broader than long, 4-8 cm diameter, 7-9-nerved; bifid 1/3-1/2 with broad sinus; tip of lobes rounded; base truncate to shallowly cordate; upper surface glabrous, lower brownish-pubescent.
Inflorescence: lateral, few-flowered, short racemes; pedicels c. 1 cm; bracts subulate, c. 5 mm; bracteoles similar but smaller, inserted about the middle of the pedicel.
Flowers: Buds fusiform, puberulous, 2 cm including the hypanthium. Hypanthium turbinate, 5 mm. Calyx splitting spathaceous during anthesis. Petals yellow (tomentosa Bauhina fl/pod 386308 ) or yellow with a dark purple blotch on the median petal (tomentosa Bauh fl 428809 ), subequal, broadly obovate, 4-5 cm, short-clawed. Stamens 10 fertile, unequal; filaments 1-2 cm, pubescent at base; anthers 2-3 mm, opening by a longitudinal slit. Ovary shortly stipitate, white tomentose; style glabrous towards the peltate stigma.
Pollen: tomentosa Bauhinia poll 386309
Pods dehiscent, flat, linear, velutinous, 7-15 by 1-1.5 cm (tomentosa Bauh infl/pod 428810 ).
Seeds c. 5, flat, suborbicular, c. 1 cm in diameter (tomentosa Bauhinia seed 256031 ).
Distribution
Origin in tropical Asia, probably spontaneous in India. In Malesia only cultivated.
Vernacular names
Tali kandjo (Sund.); bahobaho (Philipp.); Subani, Daum kupu kupu, Ki kukupu, Koepoe, Tajuman (Java).