Bauhinia bowkeri flowers

The five white Bauhinia bowkeri petals are stalked, clawed or spoon-shaped. They spread widely enough into a shallow bowl-shape to leave space among them. Their margins are more wavy than crinkly.

The calyx splits on one side only, releasing the corolla. Greenish cream on both surfaces, it turns brown later when it persists past flowering.

The ten stamens have long, white filaments and small, oblong, beige anthers. The curving white style is even longer, curving among them.

The youngest flower in picture is a furled, white, cylindrical bud. The oldest retains style and stamens better than petals (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Pooley, 1993; http://pza.sanbi.org).