Shrub or small tree to 8 m. high; branches and branchlets with straight or recurved blackish prickles 5–10 mm. long; branchlets reddish.. Leaves 30–70 cm. long; rhachis glabrous or minutely puberulent, usually unarmed; petiolule 2–5 mm. long or up to 4 cm. on terminal leaflet; leaflets (3–)4–9 pairs, subopposite below, progressively more opposite above, broadly elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 5–29 cm. long, 2.5–15 cm. broad, caudate-acuminate at the apex, cuneate and somewhat oblique at the base, dentate-crenate, papyraceous, glabrous or sometimes puberulent along the nerves, especially the midrib; pellucid glands numerous and scattered but more conspicuous along the margin; midrib prominent beneath; lateral nerves 8–14 pairs.. Inflorescence a terminal pyramidal panicle 20–40 cm. long, tomentulose to puberulent; pedicels 0.5–1 mm. long.. Sepals 4, 0.3–0.5 mm. long, puberulent.. Petals oblong or elliptic-oblong, 1.2–2 mm. long, 0.8–1 mm. broad, obtuse, glabrous, creamy white.. Male flowers not seen.. Female flowers: staminodes 4, very short; ovary of a single carpel.. Fruit broadly ellipsoid or globose, 5–7 mm. in diameter, orange-red, foveolate and with light red pellucid glands; stipe 2–2.5 mm. long.. Seed globose, 5–5.7 mm. in diameter, shiny black.
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