Trees to 30 m tall, the crown rounded or spreading. Leaves trifoliolate, de-ciduous or persistent; the leaflets coriaceous, glabrate, shiny above, pinnately veined, ovate or elliptic with an acuminate, ultimately blunt drip tip, the margins entire; petioles glabrate, shorter than the leaflets with an expanded, slightly clasping base, the petiolules short. Inflorescence a showy, many-flowered panicle to 25 cm tall with decussate branching terminating in dichasia, the bracts mostly resembling the foliage leaves, the small bracteoles leaving conspicuous rings around the axes. Flowers colorful; sepals often red or purple, essentially free, quincuncial in bud and imbricated at the base, mostly unequal, ovate to oblong; petals red or white with a yellow or pink base, 4(-5), 8-25 mm long, mostly with a basally pubescent claw, the upper pair longer than the lateral pair; disc mostly eccentric and trilobed; stamens 6-8, filaments often colored, 20-30 mm long, arcuate-ascending, the anthers yellow, long exserted, glandular at the ends of the locules; ovary deep pink, glabrous or pubescent, stipitate, oblong fusiform. Fruit a leathery smooth or slightly scaly moderately angled capsule, 5-8 cm long; seeds 1-3, 3-5 cm in diameter, dark brown or black.
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