Bauhinia aherniana Perkins var. aherniana
Morphological description
Tendrilled liana ; young branches rusty pubescent, soon glabrous.
Leaves: stipules obovate-orbicular, pubescent on both surfaces, 3-5 mm across; lamina ovate to orbicular, 6-8(-12) cm across, 11-13(-15)-nerved; bifid 1/3 - 1/2; apex of lobes obtuse; base cordate; upper surface glabrous, lower brownish pubescent to subglabrous.
Inflorescences lateral and terminal, velvety brown corymbs to short racemes; pedicels 1.5-3.5 cm; bracts oblong-acute, c. 7 mm; bracteoles subulate, 5 mm, inserted below the middle of the pedicel.
Flowers: Buds clavate-ellipsoid, ± apiculate, distinctly contracted at base towards the hypanthium. Hypanthium tubular, 10-15 mm by 1-3 mm, not or only slightly dilated at base, abruptly constricted towards the slender pedicel, faintly striate. Calyx splitting into 5 free, reflexed sepals, 15-20 mm long. Petals creamy white turning yellow, unequal, elliptic with a distinct claw, densely silky, brown pubescent outside, rarely puberulous, 25-35 by 7-13 mm including the 4-5 mm long claw. Stamens 3 fertile; filaments 2-3 cm, glabrous; anthers oblong elliptic, 7-9 mm; staminodes 2-3, subulate. Ovary, stipe and style entirely brownish silky hairy, rarely glabrous below stigma; stipe c. 7 mm; ovary c. 10 mm; style 5 mm; stigma peltate, c. 3 mm diameter.
Pods strap-shaped, c. 15 by 3 cm with a 7 mm long beak.
Seeds ± orbicular, c. 12 mm.
Distribution
Malesia: Philippines (Luzon, Mindoro, Leyte).
Habitat
Open localities at lower altitudes, up to 650 m.
Notes
1. Var. aherniana is closely related to Bauhinia semibifida and B. lingua; some specimens even tend to be intermediate between the two species. We do, however, maintain B. aherniana as a species because of the hypanthium characters.
2. This variety is known from four collections from Mindoro, two from Romblon, one from Leyte, and one from Laguna de Bay (Manila).