Erect tree, c. 5 m, glabrous. Leaves clustered at the ends of the branches; petiole to 25 cm, base clasping, prolonged as a stipular ligule to 2½ cm long, and bearing several pectinate crests (becoming recurved when the bristles may be obscured or shed); blade to 35 cm long, digitately compound (or some leaflets imperfectly separated); leaflets 3-7, unequal in size, oblong-ovate to broadly oblong-oblanceolate, acuminate, lyrately lobed and irregularly dentate, the base gradually narrowed to the petiolule; petiolule up to 7 cm. Inflorescence a dense terminal compound umbel; peduncle stout, c. 2 cm, bearing many lanceolate bracts 2-3 cm long; primary rays c. 30, 10-15 mm long, subtended by lanceolate c. 2.5 cm long bracts, sometimes with bristles on the back, and bearing similar opposite terminal bracts 8-10 mm long, each ending in three branches; central branch short (not seen fully developed) terminating in an umbellule of c. 15 sterile bacciform flowers (c. 3 mm long), pedicels 3-4 mm; lateral branches 8-10 mm long (? fully developed), articulation present ending in heads (c. 1 cm ø) of numerous flowers. Calyx rim obsolete. Corolla lobes 4, 2 mm long. Stamens 4. Ovary 4-celled. Fruit unknown.
Home