Lianas, woody, robust, with tendrils. Young branches shiny, rusty hairy. Stipules caducous; petiole 8-11 cm, rusty tomen­tose; leaf blade cordate-orbicular or cordate-ovate, 18-21 × 16-18 cm, papery, abaxially rusty tomentose, later glabrous, adax­ially glabrous, primary veins 9-11, base deeply cordate, apex bifid to 1/3-1/2 on flowering branches, lobes acute or obtuse-acuminate at apex. Inflorescence a corymbose raceme, terminal or lateral, many flowered, densely brown tomentose; bracts per­sistent, lanceolate, 3-5 mm, pubescent; bracteoles oblong-lan­ceolate, inserted at middle of pedicel. Pedicel 2.5-5 cm, slender. Flower buds upper part pyriform. Receptacle cupular, short; calyx lobes 5, ovate, 6-7 mm, in 2 parts during anthesis, re­flexed upon anthesis. Petals white, subequal, obovate, 15-25 × 10-15 mm, abaxially thinly pubescent, adaxially glabrous, shortly clawed, margin crisped. Fertile stamens 3; filaments ca. 30 mm, upper part glabrous; anthers oblong. Ovary subsessile, densely brown tomentose; style slender, glabrous; stigma capi­tate, small. Legume strap-shaped, compressed, dehiscent, 18-30 × 4-6 cm; valves thick, hard woody, glabrous. Seeds 3 or 4, subcircular, compressed, ca. 27 mm in diam.

This is a polymorphic species. Bauhinia ornata var. ornata occurs in Myanmar.

Mountain forests, open thickets; 100-800 m. Guangdong, Guang­xi, Hainan, Yunnan [NE India, Laos, Myanmar, N Thailand, N Viet­nam].