Shrub or small tree 2–9 m. high, sometimes scandent; trunk with conical corky bosses 3.5–5 cm. in diameter; branches not or sparsely armed with straight or slightly recurved prickles 2–7 mm. long, glabrous or rarely brownish pubescent.. Leaves 15–40 cm. long; rhachis usually unarmed, rarely with 1–2 prickles; petiolules (1.5–)2–4 mm. long, the terminal one up to 30 mm.; leaflets 3–4 pairs, opposite, ovate to elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 7–15 cm. long, 3–6.5 cm. broad, obtuse to acute or shortly acuminate at the apex, cuneate and occasionally asymmetric at the base, crenulate to minutely and obtusely serrulate, papyraceous, glabrous, densely dotted with pellucid glands; lateral nerves 8–12 pairs.. Inflorescence a terminal pyramidal panicle 8–25 cm. long; flowers mostly in cymose clusters, rarely alternate, with pedicels (1–) 2–9 mm. long.. Sepals 4, slightly united at the base, ovate to subcircular, 0.5 mm. long, ciliolate.. Petals 4, 1.5–3 mm. long, 0.7–1 mm. broad, white.. Male flowers: stamens 4; filaments 1–2.8 mm. long; anthers ± 0.8 mm. long; gynophore short, glabrous; vestigial ovary ovoid, lobed.. Female flowers: staminodes 4, vestigial; gynophore ± 0.4 mm. long; ovary of 1 carpel, 1–1.5 mm. long; style 0.8–1 mm. long.. Fruit globose, 4–6 mm. in diameter, scarlet, densely gland-dotted.. Seed compressed-globose, 3.5–4 mm. in diameter, shiny black.
Home
