Bauhinia binata Blanco

Blanco, F.M. (1837) Fl. Filip. : 331. Type: E. D. Merrill, Sp. Blancoanae 998; neo: L; isoneo: NSW, K, W.

Climbing Bauhinia

Vine stem diameters to 6 cm recorded. Grows into a large vine but also flowers and fruits as a shrub.

Compound leaves resemble butterflies, each leaf consisting of two leaflets and a terminal club-like gland about 2 mm long. Leaflet blades about 18-45 x 12-35 mm with 3-5 veins radiating from the base, leaflet stalks absent. Compound leaf petiole about 10-18 mm long. Stipules small, less than 1 mm long, caducous. Tendrils usually present on some twigs or branches.

Petals about 20 x 8 mm, shortly clawed, woolly pubescent on the outer surface but less hairy on the inner surface. Stamens 10, dimorphic, the longer filaments more than 20 mm long, anthers about 4 mm long. Stigma peltate.

Pods flat or slightly inflated, curved, about 10-20 x 2-3 cm. Seeds about 6-13, hard, flat, patelliform, about 8-10 mm diam. Cotyledons flat, about 9 x 8 mm, much longer than the 1 mm long radicle.

Cotyledons obovate, about 12-18 x 8-12 mm, fleshy, sessile. First pair of leaves pinnate with one pair of asymmetrical leaflets and a spur-like pendulous gland about 2-3 mm long attached between the leaflets. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves compound, leaflets +/- semi-orbicular, sessile, in pairs with a downward pointing gland or gland-like structure attached to the petiole between the leaflet pairs. Leaflet venation consists of three or four veins radiating from the base. Stipules broadly triangular, about 1 mm long. Seed germination time 14 to 126 days.

Occurs in NT, CYP, NEQ and CEQ, normally at low elevations just above sea level. Usually grows in beach forest but also found in monsoon forest and close to mangrove forest. Also occurs in SE Asia and Malesia.

This species is of no grazing significance. Hacker (1990).