Unarmed shrub or small tree 2–8 m. tall; branches thick, 4–5 mm. diameter, fluted, grey with small punctiform lenticels.. Leaves 5–7-foliolate, 12–19 cm. long, including a petiole of up to 7 cm.; leaflets oblong-elliptic, rounded or cordate at the base on a petiolule 2–4 mm. long, acuminate apically, densely or sparsely hispidulous, up to 7 cm. long and 3.5 cm. wide, the terminal rather larger than the laterals, margins markedly strongly serrate with ± 15 teeth on each side, 4–5 main lateral nerves, prominent beneath on each side.. Flowers borne just before the leaves among ovate prophylls ± 4 mm. long.. Male inflorescence a pedunculate, pubescent, branching cyme, the peduncle ± 7 cm., branches 20–25 mm., pedicels 6–10 mm. long; bracts linear, stiff, 2–3 mm. long; calyx densely pubescent, ± 3 mm. long, divided for 5/6 of its length into narrowly elliptic pointed lobes; petals densely velvety outside, linear-oblong, 4.5 mm. long, curved outwards towards the tip but the tip itself inflexed; filaments 3.5 and 1.8 mm.; anthers 0.7 and 0.5 mm. long.. Female inflorescence similar to the ♂ but shorter, the peduncle 2–3 cm. long; staminodes well developed and appearing possibly functional; ovary densely velvety, tapering to the stigma.. Fruits single or 2 or 3 together on a common peduncle 2–3.5 cm. long, with the pedicel 10–15 mm. long, glabrescent, asymmetrically oblong-elliptic, 4-winged with well-marked wings on the sutures and narrower wings on the faces, ± 25–30 mm. long × 13 mm. × (4 + 5) mm. but almost half its length consisting of an extraordinary beak composed of pericarp only; pericarp 2-valved; pseudaril 4-armed, sutural arms as long as fertile facial arm, 5/6 sterile facial arm, 4/5 as long as the stone which is almost smooth, the fertile locule strongly ridged, sterile locule gently convex, ± 13 × 7 × (3 + 5) mm.. Fig. 10/12–14, p. 59.
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