Pachycaul tree to 12 m; bole to 15 cm diam. Bark brown to greenish grey, rather smooth; inner bark creamy white to fawn. Leafy twigs c. 7–8 mm diam., ± terete, pubescent when young. Leaves to 1.3 m, bunched in terminal spirals; petiole 10–15 cm; axis c. 3.5 mm diam., ± terete. Leaflets in up to 10 pairs, 12–38(–50) by 6.5–14.5 (–20) cm, though most proximal much smaller, about 10 cm apart, ovate to oblong sparsely pubescent adaxially, slightly more so abaxially, base ± subcordate, apex acuminate, costae 8–14 on each side, venation prominent abaxially. Thyrse to 1.2 m long, narrowly paniculate, borne in foliate axils; axis ± pubescent, unbranched or with distal branches to 5 cm long; bracts c. 2 mm long, broadly ovate. Calyx 5–6.5 mm long, shallowly cupulate, pubescent without, margin truncate. Petals (4) 5 or 6, to 17 by 7 mm, ligulate, elliptic, red without, white to greenish within, ± pubescent without. Starminal tube densely hairy within, less so without; margin truncate to crenulate; the anthers 10–12, c. 3 mm long, locellate, connective ± pubescent. Ovary c. 4 mm in diam., (4-) 5–8-locular, densely pubescent; the style pubescent for most of its length, occasionally glabrous near apex; stylehead c. 1.5 mm diam., capitate. Infructescence to 65 cm; rachis c. 4 mm diam. Fruits crowded at apex, 6 cm in diam., flattened globose, (4–)6(–8)-merous, densely tomentose, pericarp thick, creamy. Seeds up to 6, c. 18 mm long; testa black; aril orange-red covering adaxial half
Home