A monocaulous sympodial shrub to 3 m high, with leaves spaced along the upper part of the stem, young parts furfuraceous. Leaves imparipinnate, 4-5 pairs of leaflets (leaves of juveniles smaller with fewer leaflets), c. 45 cm long; petiole to 12 cm, with a short sheathing base; petiolules 1-1½ cm; leaflets oblong or elliptic, c. 12 by 4 cm, chartaceous, apex attenuate or caudate, base truncate or cuneate, margin entire, irregularly undulate, slightly revolute, midrib prominent. Inflorescence a compound umbel (stem growth renewed by a bud between the inflorescence and the uppermost leaf); peduncle 1-4 cm (sometimes bearing a unifoliolate leaf about the middle with an axillary flowering branch), ending in an umbel of 2-4 primary rays; primary rays sometimes subtended by 1-2 unifoliolate leaves, c. 4 cm long, ending in 2-3 tertiary rays which may branch again before ending in umbellules; umbellules with 6-10 flowers on furfuraceous pedicels c. 8 mm long. Flower buds with an apical umbo. Calyx a rim with 5 acute teeth. Petals 5, attenuated. Stamens 3 mm long, anthers 1.5 mm long. Ovary subcylindric, furfuraceous, 4 mm high, 2-celled, disk forming a projecting conical stylopodium (1.5 mm long at anthesis), stigmas 2. Fruit rotund, compressed, 8 by 9 mm, crowned by the small calyx and the persistent stylopodium (2 mm long) with sub-capitate stigmas.
On old well-drained volcanic soil in primary mixed forest, mostly on ridges and upper slopes, 1600-2100 m.
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