Small slender tree 3-7 m. tall, the trunk about 8 cm. diameter, unbranched for about 1 m., with smooth grey or grey-brown bark, much resembling a Commiphora when leafless; leaf-scars pale, 3-10 mm. wide; young branches glabrous or sparsely hispidulous but soon becoming glabrous.. Leaves to 45 cm., bipinnate or partly 3-pinnate, some of the pinnules consisting of 3 leaflets; pinnae in 4-5 pairs with 3-5 leaflets per pinna, oblong to elliptic 0.9-4.3 cm. long, 0.4-2.5 cm. wide, acute and with thickened apiculum, rounded to cuneate at the base, glabrous or sparsely puberulous; petiole 1.5-12 cm. long, together with secondary axes ± spreading pubescent.. Flowers pale or deep yellow or rose (fide Chiovenda) appearing when the plant is leafless in lax inflorescences 6.5-15 cm. long; peduncle 5-10 cm. long with few spreading hairs; stalks 0.7-2 cm. long; true pedicels 2-2.5 mm. long; bracts linear, 1 mm. long.. Buds 9-10 mm. long.. Receptacle 2-3 mm. long, 3-5 mm. wide.. Sepals oblong-lanceolate, 1-1.4 cm. long, 2.5-6.5 mm. wide, reflexed, acute, glabrous or pubescent.. Petals oblong-lanceolate, 1.2-2 cm. long, upper part widened, 3-10 mm. long, 2.5-4.5 mm. wide, ± rounded at apex; lower part narrowed into a claw, ± 8 × 2-2.5 mm., glabrous or puberulous.. Staminal filaments up to 11 mm. long, glabrous but with hairy appendage at base; anthers 1-3 mm. long; staminodes 9 mm. long.. Ovary 4.5 mm. long, glabrous; stipe 2 mm. long, style 8 mm. long.. Pods long and slender, 24-37(-40) cm. long, 0.7-1.6 cm. wide, slightly torulose, with 2 narrow grooves on each valve.. Seeds pale greenish with core globose-trigonous, 0.9-1.1 cm. long, transversely undulate or rugose near keels; wings prominent, 5-7 mm. long, 3.5-5 mm. wide, with a deep sinus at both ends.
Home