Pachycaul tree to 13 m; bole to 22 cm diam., buttressed. Branching fastigiate, often with several limbs from near base. Bark smooth. Leafy twigs to 5 cm diam., blackish, with large scutellar cicatrices. Leaves to 220 cm long, pseudogemmulate, crowded in dense terminal spirals; petiole 5–20 cm, woody, dark-coloured, glabrescent to sparsely hairy. Leaflets in up to 16 pairs, sometimes ± alternate at base or rachis, 20–45(–55) by (5–)8–12(–15) cm, oblong lanceolate or ovate when smaller, weakly bullate, glabrous adaxially, ± puberulous abaxially, base obtuse to subacute, apex acute to acuminate, costae c. 15–24 on each side, tertiary venation scalariform; petiolules to 8 mm. Inflorescence to 220 cm long, pendent; axis terete to weakly angled, weakly branched; branches crowded towards apex, pilose, with up to 12 flowers each; bracts c. 6 mm long pubescent, caducous; pedicels c. 10 mm long, articulated with pseudopedicel. Calyx 14–20 mm long and across, cupular to cylindrical, pubescent, red-brown, margin truncate to irregularly 3-or 4-lobed. Petals 6–10, 30–45 by 4–7(–12) mm, creamy pink. Staminal tube 25–40 by 6–7 mm, creamy white, glabrous without except on the lobes, pilose within at base, margin entire or with lobes 4–6 mm long; anthers 16–30, c. 5 mm long, rather recurved, connective somewhat pubescent. Disk flattened to weakly annular, glabrous. Ovary c. 5 mm diam., 5-or 6-locular, pilose; style pilose in proximal half or glabrous; stylehead c. 2 mm diam., capitate. Infructescence borne in axils of last flush of leaves; axis to 3 m with terminal bunches of up to 60 fruits. Capsule to 12 cm diam., recurved, rostrate when immature, bright vermilion tomentose with irritant deciduous hairs. Seeds 2.5–3.3 cm long, triangular in cross section; aril reddish, covering inner edges of black testa.
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