Shrub or small tree with scandent branches; branches and branchlets armed with blackish red recurved prickles 3–12 mm. long, generally greyish, smooth; bark rough.. Leaves 6–20 cm. long; rhachis with many upcurved or upward pointing prickles 1.5–3 mm. long; petiolule 0.5–2 mm. long, occasionally up to 5 mm. on terminal leaflet; leaflets 4–7 pairs, subopposite towards the base to opposite above, ovate or oblong to ovate-elliptic, 2.5–6 cm. long, 1.2–2.8 cm. broad, acute to rarely acuminate or obtuse at the apex, obtuse or truncate and occasionally slightly oblique at the base, conspicuously crenate and punctate along the margin, subcoriaceous, glabrous to pubescent when young, with scattered pellucid glands; midrib frequently armed beneath; lateral nerves 8–12 pairs.. Inflorescences terminal, corymbose-paniculate with ultimate branches umbel-like, pubescent; pedicels 1–1.5 mm. long.. Sepals 4, united halfway, 0.5–0.7 mm. long.. Petals 4, elliptic-oblong, 2–2.5 mm. long, 0.7–1 mm. broad, obtuse.. Male flowers: stamens 4, 2–2.8 mm. long; anthers ± 1 mm. long; vestigial pistil up to 1.2 mm. long.. Female flowers not seen.. Fruit of generally paired subglobose follicles 7–9 mm. long, 6–7.5 mm. in diameter, with a short common stipe but individually sessile, one of the pair sometimes rudimentary, scarlet, glandular-foveolate.. Seed 6–7 mm. long, 4.4–5.5 mm. in diameter, dark brown or dark red and glossy.
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