A shrub or small, sparsely branched tree to 7 m, with prickly stems. Leaves to 1.5 m or more long, forming large crowns at the ends of the branches, bipinnate, with a pair of pinnae at each division of the rachis, with some prickles, especially on the petiole or unarmed, the rachis swollen and articulated at the nodes; leaflets sessile or with a short petiolule, ovate to lanceolate, usually 4-5 by 2-2.5 cm, but variable in size, apex acute or acuminate, base rounded to cordate, usually markedly oblique in lateral leaflets, margin conspicuously crenate, upper surface green, glabrous, lower surface glaucous, pubescent along the veins and sometimes sparingly on the mesophyll, sometimes only in the angles of the lower veins, or almost glabrous throughout, primary and secondary veins conspicuous; petiole to 30 cm, base long sheathing and slightly ligulate. Inflorescence a large terminal panicle 30-70 cm long (or more), peduncle and also usually the main branches prickly, the whole either almost glabrous or pubescent; peduncle 5-18 cm long, stout; main rays c. 5-10, mostly clustered at the apex of the rachis, 25-65 cm long, bearing many short tertiary branches along their length; tertiary branches usually 5-10 cm long, ending in umbellules, and bearing a small number of lateral umbellules, or branches, minute lanceolate bracts subtending the branches of the third or higher orders; umbellules with c. 20-30 radiating pedicels; pedicels 5-10 mm. Calyx lobes 5, rounded, 0.5 mm long; petals 5, 1.5 mm long; stamens 5; ovary 5-celled, styles subulate, free. Fruit spheroidal, c. 3 by 4 mm, strongly 5-ribbed when dry, persistent styles spreading.
More
Shrubs or treelets, 2.7-7 m tall, andromonoecious. Branches with straight, conic prickles 4-8 mm. Leaves 2-pinnately compound, with a pair of accessory leaflets at each division of rachis; petiole to ca. 40 cm, prickly; petiolules 2-12 mm; leaflets 5-11 per pinna, ovate to lanceolate, 3.5-15 × 1.5-6.5 cm, papery to leathery, both surfaces glabrous, abaxially glaucous, secondary veins 6-8 pairs, distinct on both surfaces, tertiary veins indistinct, base rounded to subcordate, margin crenate, apex acuminate to caudate. Inflorescence a terminal panicle of umbels, furfuraceous, unarmed; primary axis 10-40 cm; secondary axes 15-65 cm; ultimate axes with a terminal umbel of bisexual flowers and 1 to several lateral umbels of male flowers; bracts persistent, lanceolate to triangular, to ca. 4 mm; umbels 10-25-flowered; pedicels 4.5-10 mm, furfuraceous. Ovary 5-carpellate; styles 5, free. Fruit globose, ca. 3 mm in diam.; styles persistent, radiating. Fl. and fr. all year.
In rather open forests, ravines, and in thickets and secondary growths, (700-)1000-2450 m.
Home
