Shrub or small tree up to 10 m tall; young branchlets pubescent and with many small orange glands or scales, some branchlets coiled apically, tendril-like. Leaves alternate, simple; stipules 3–5 mm × 1–2 mm, deciduous; petiole 0.5–3 cm long; blade 2–8 cm × 2–10 cm, 2-lobed to one-third to two-thirds down, lobes elliptical to ovate or rounded. Inflorescence an axillary, leaf-opposed or terminal raceme, 1–10-flowered. Flowers bisexual, almost regular, 5-merous; hypanthium (1.5–)2–5.5(–6.5) cm long; sepals linear to linear-lanceolate, 1.5–5 cm long; petals narrowly elliptical to ovate, 2–8.5 cm × 0.5–4 cm, white throughout or sometimes base of midrib pink; fertile stamens (4–)5(–6), slightly unequal in length, staminodes 4–5; ovary superior, slender, hairy, style 2–4 cm long. Fruit a linear-oblong to oblanceolate-oblong pod 10–24 cm × 1.5–5 cm, woody, dehiscent, 5–6-seeded. Seeds 1–3 cm × 0.5–2 cm, deep chestnut-brown to blackish.

Antiseptic (leaves)

PROTAbase: Bauhinia petersiana

The leaves are boiled, the steam inhaled and the cooled-down liquid drunk to cure common cough. The pounded leaves mixed with salt are boiled and the warm liquid is sprinkled on wounds to promote healing. A decoction of the macerated roots is drunk as a remedy for diarrhoea. An infusion of the roots is used to treat dysmenorrhoea and female infertility.