A succulent tree. It has a thick swollen trunk. It grows to 8 m high. It can be 2 m across at the base. It can be divided into a number of stems. The bark peels in papery strips. It loses its leaves in winter. The crown is round. The leaves are compound and fleshy. They are made up of 3 large leaflets. These can be 30 cm long by 18 cm across. The middle leaflets has a short stalk and the other two are stalkless. They are oval and bluntly pointed with a broad unequal base. The edges of the leaves have teeth. Leaflets are often folded together. The leaves are on long thick leaf stalks. The flowers are yellow-green and small. They have 4 petals. They occur in flat spreading heads. The flower group are on long stalks at the ends of branches. The fruit is grape-like. They are juicy and red. They contain oxalic acid which burns the throat.
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