Large woody liane attaining 8-15 m in length. Stems at first covered with stiff orange-brown hairs, later glabrescent. Leaflets 4.2-11.5 x 2.2-7.5 cm, elliptic or ovate, the laterals oblique, acuminate and markedly apiculate at the apex, rounded at the base, glabrous; petiole 4.7-12 cm long; rhachis 1.8-3.5 cm long; petiolules 5 mm long. Inflorescences mostly from the thick lower stems; rhachis 3-6 cm long; peduncle 4-22 cm long; secondary branches 2-7 mm long, silvery pubescent; pedicels 1-2.5 cm long; bracts 7 x 2.5 mm, oblong; bracteoles 14 x 4 mm, oblong, deciduous. Calyx covered with fine grey pubescence and also long deciduous orange-brown bristles; tube 7-11 mm long; lobes 2-3 mm long, the upper lip scarcely emarginate. Standard pale creamy-green, white or pale lilac, eventually turning black, (2)2.5-3.5 x (1.6)2.2-2.6 cm, round, with very sparse orange bristly hairs, particularly outside at top of claw; wings and keel similarly coloured, (3)3.7-4.6 cm long. Pods stipitate, 8-15.3 x 3.5-5(6.4) x 1-1.9 cm, oblong or oblong-elliptic, margins with 2 wings, densely covered with stiff intensely irritant orange-brown bristles. Seeds brown, densely mottled with black, 2.5-2.9 x 2.1-2.5 x 1.2-1.4 cm, discoid, the faces convex, smooth; hilum extending around the seed-margin for ± three-quarters of the circumference.
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