Shrubby herb, 1·2–4 m. tall, the roots spreading horizontally and producing stems at intervals.. Stems mostly juicy but somewhat woody at the base, at first covered with multicellular hairs but later glabrous.. Leaves imparipinnate, attaining 75 cm. in length and 45 cm. in breadth (fide A. S. Thomas), (5–)6–11-foliolate; leaflets subsessile, occasionally apical one partly fused with a lateral, elliptic-oblong, ovate or oblong-lanceolate, 4·5–18 cm. long, 1·3–8 cm. wide, acuminate, very unequally rounded at the base, finely and sharply toothed (the basal teeth often glandular), at first hairy, later glabrous above except for minute hairs on the main nerves, bullate, sparsely pubescent on the main nerves beneath which are slightly raised and reticulate; petioles 0·6–12 cm. long; stipules conspicuous, leafy, toothed (true nature uncertain); on the rhachis near the leaflet bases there are often glandular ? stipels.. Inflorescences corymbose, 7–15 cm. wide, ferruginous pubescent, subtended by 1–3-foliolate glandular-toothed leaves; bracts and bracteoles linear, small.. Calyx pinkish or purplish; tube ribbed; lobes triangular, ± 1 mm. long.. Corolla white or creamy-white; tube 1·5 mm. long; lobes elliptic, 4–6 mm. long, 3–3·5 mm. wide, induplicate-valvate in bud.. Fruit oblong or ellipsoid, 4·2–7 mm. long, 2·5–4 mm. wide, blue-black, 9–10-ribbed; fruiting pedicels purplish.. Pyrenes 3–4, bony, pale reddish-brown, linear-oblong, 4–5·5 mm. long, 1–3 mm. wide, somewhat trigonous in section.. Fig. 1.
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A shrub. It grows up to 1-2 m high. It can grow 5 m high in warmer zones. The stem is juicy at first but then becomes woody. It is hollow or has a soft pith. The young shoots are hairy. The leaves have 6-11 leaflets along a 75 cm leaf. The leaflets are large with teeth along the edge. The leaflets are 12 cm long by 4 cm wide. One side of the leaflet is attached to the leaf stalk lower than the other. The leaf stalk is 12 cm long and with a leafy stipule at the base. The flowers are small and white. They are in a flattened head 7-15 cm across. The fruit is a small purple-black berry. It is edible. The berry is 7 mm across and ribbed. It contains 3-4 hard red seeds.
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