Tree to 20 m high, with a spreading crown of thick branches bearing terminal clusters of large leaves, young parts with fawn to grey scurfy tomentum. Leaves bipinnate, becoming glabrous, up to 110 by 50 cm, or larger; petiole c. 13 cm, with a slightly clasping base; petiolules up to c. ½ cm; leaflets ovate or elliptic, c. 6 by 3 cm, chartaceous to somewhat leathery, margin entire and slightly revolute, apex with an obtuse apiculum, base cuneate, midrib prominent, lateral veins rather obscure. Inflorescence a large panicle, tomentum persistent especially on the pedicels; primary axis stout, c. 30 cm, bearing secondary axes along its length and in a terminal subumbel-late cluster, bracts caducous; secondary axes c. 20-30 cm, bearing tertiary axes (c. 10 cm) along their length; flowers borne racemosely along the tertiary axes on pedicels 1-2 mm long. Calyx a minute rim. Petals 5, oblong, rather fleshy, spreading at anthesis and soon falling. Stamens 5, 2 mm long on short filaments, soon falling. Ovary scurfy, at first turbinate, globose at anthesis, c. 4 mm high, 2-celled, disk rising to the 2 styles; style arms at first short and pressed together, elongating and diverging after the anthers have fallen. Fruit leathery, globose, compressed, c. 5 by 5 mm and irregularly ribbed when dry.
Home