Shrub or small tree 1–6 m. tall; bark soft corky; girth of trunk up to 30 cm.; twigs whitish.. Normal white hairs present on young twigs, leaf-rhachides and inflorescences, and usually also dark swollen-based hairs whose hardened bases persist on the older twigs.. Leaves usually in tufts; stipules up to 5 mm. long; rhachis up to 5 cm. long; leaflets 9–15, elliptic-oblong, about twice as long as wide, up to 15 mm. long and 6 mm. wide, white pubescent beneath and at the margin and usually with a few swollen-based hairs in slight notches in the margin, which is usually flat but sometimes slightly revolute; lateral veins usually translucent in the fresh state and purplish-black, at least beneath, when dry.. Inflorescence 1–4-flowered, the rhachis up to 3 cm. long; bracts ovate-acuminate, ± 2 mm. long; pedicels up to 2 cm. long; bracteoles ovate-elliptic, ± 3 mm. long, up to 4 mm. below the receptacle.. Calyx and pedicel above bracteoles free from normal white hairs except sometimes at the margin, often with dark swollen-based hairs near the base; receptacle-cup 2–3 mm. deep, ± 5 mm. long and 3 mm. wide; tube 3–4 mm. deep; upper lobes rounded-oblong, 3–4 mm. long; lateral lobes triangular, 3–4 mm. long; lower lobe lanceolate, boat-shaped, 4–5 mm. long.. Corolla persistent, glabrous, except sometimes for a few hairs near the tip of the standard, cream or greenish-yellow with carmine-pink, crimson, or reddish-purple mainly longitudinal veins; claw of standard 3–4 mm. long, blade ovate, rounded-truncate or broadly cuneate but not cordate at the base, 14–17 mm. long, 13–14 mm. wide, with 2 basal folds at 70° to the horizontal, forming an inverted V; claw of wing 5–6 mm. long, blade elliptic-oblong, up to 16 mm. long and 8 mm. wide; claws of keel up to 8 mm. long, blades somewhat rostrate, up to 15 mm. long and 8 mm. wide.. Stamens (5) + (5), united part 10–13 mm., free parts 4–9 mm., anthers 1–2 mm. long; disc cylindrical, 0.7 mm. deep.. Ovary 4–6-ovulate, densely covered with swollen-based hairs up to 1 mm. long; stipe ± 2 mm. long; style 11–13 mm.. Fruit slightly curved or ± straight, up to 6.5 cm. long, pubescent and with many conical tubercles of which the larger are up to 0.8 mm. in diameter; segments ± 1 mm. long, 6 mm. wide and 2 mm. thick.. Fig. 53/1, 2, p. 358.
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