Shrub or small tree to 8 m. tall, rarely a larger tree. Leaves to 15 cm. long; leaflets 2-5 pairs borne oppositely on the rachis, occasionally imparipinnate; blades 2.5-14 cm. long, 1.5-7 cm. wide, obovate, sometimes nearly cuneate, elliptical or nearly lanceolate, the base acute, the apex rounded to obtuse, rarely acuminate, glabrous to pubescent along the midrib above and along the veins beneath. Inflo-rescences axillary, short-racemose, usually less than 3 cm. long. Flowers white! or greenish, 2-3 mm. long, 4-to 6-merous; calyx nearly flat, the lobes deltoid, glabrous to pubescent without, glabrous within; petals ovate to lanceolate, thin, glabrous to to short-scattered-puberulent without; staminal tube 1/3 2/3 the length of the petals, glabrous or puberulent near the top; anthers usually twice as many as the petals, alternating with deltoid lobes which are nearly as long; ovary and style glabrous, the stigma thick-capitate. Fruit sphaeroidal, glabrous, smooth before dehiscence, the 3-4 valves transversely striate-rugulose after opening flat or reflexing to expose the 1 or 2 red-arillate seeds.
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