Bauhinia audax
Content
Description
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 diam., 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.
Inflorescences 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.
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; 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.
Seeds 4-7, flattened, orbicular, c. 2 cm diam.