A much-branched tree 8–14(–16) m. high; trunk without branches for several m., 22–35 cm. in diameter at the base, armed with conical woody prickle-bearing outgrowths 2–3 cm. long ending in sharp straight thorns 5–9 mm. long; bark conspicuously rough, with longitudinal ridges and furrows (as deep as 5 cm.), greyish brown but peeling yellow underneath; branches with sharp straight or slightly upcurved dark red prickles 6–12 mm. long; roots with yellow bark which (together with the bark) are heavily exploited for medicinal purposes.. Leaves 10–24 cm. long; rhachis unarmed or with small straight or upcurved prickles; petiolule (0–)0.5–2 mm. long except on the terminal leaflets where it is up to 5 mm.; leaflets 2–8 pairs, usually subopposite to opposite, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 2.2–8 cm. long, 1.5–3 cm. broad, acuminate or apiculate to almost obtuse at the apex, obtuse and slightly oblique to cuneate at the base, crenate, with distinct pellucid glands along the margin, coriaceous, glabrous; midrib occasionally aculeate beneath; lateral nerves 8–16 pairs.. Inflorescence terminal much-branched corymbose panicles, 10–15 cm. long, 7–19 cm. broad, glabrous, with cymose clusters of flowers on pedicels 0–3 mm. long.. Sepals 4, united at least at the base, ovate to elliptic, 1–1.5 mm. long, 1 mm. broad.. Petals 4, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 2–4.5 mm. long, 1.5–2.2 mm. broad, apiculate or obtuse, white to cream or greenish yellow.. Male flowers: stamens 4; filaments 2–6 mm. long and variable in length in the same flower; anthers 1–2 mm. long; gynophore short, glabrous; vestigial pistils 2, up to 1.4 mm. long.. Female flowers: staminodes absent; gynophore short; ovaries 2, partially united, 1–1.5 mm. long; styles 2, 0.8–1 mm. long; stigmas 2, often partially united.. Fruit of paired subglobose follicles 8–10 mm. long, 6–7.5 mm. in diameter, mucronate, usually on a common stipe but individually sessile, one of the pair sometimes rudimentary, reddish green, glandular-foveolate, Seeds 5–7 mm. long, 4.5–5.5 mm. in diameter, dark blue-black and glossy.
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A tree. It grows 5-8 m high. The crown is spreading and the branches are drooping. The bark is deeply cracked. The flowers are cream. The fruit are in pairs. They are red.
Wooded savannah; montane scrub forest; evergreen bushland or deciduous woodland on rocky slopes; marshy wooded places; sometimes secondary bushland following Podocarpus clearance at elevations from 1,200-2,600 metres.
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It is a tropical plant. In Kenya it grows between 1,400-2,500 m altitude.
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