Woody climber or subshrub 0.5–3 m. tall from a thick woody rootstock. Stems with adpressed or spreading ferruginous hairs, later glabrescent. Leaves 20–28-foliolate; petiole short; leaflets narrowly oblong or elliptic-oblong, (0.6–)l–2(– 3) cm. long, 2–7(–12) mm. wide, rounded and mucronulate or emarginate at the apex, rounded or subcordate at the base, densely pubescent, particularly beneath, with rather long, curved, ± adpressed greyish hairs. Inflorescences mostly terminal; flowers sessile in usually well-separated verticillate fascicles; peduncles 3–8 cm. long; bracts and bracteoles equalling or exceeding the calyx, 3–6 mm. long. Calyx pubescent, 2–3 mm. long, denticulate. Corolla very dark red or purple, 0.8–1.5 cm. long. Pods oblong, (2.4–)4–5.5 cm. long, 8–12 mm. wide, pubescent and with some glands. Seeds very dark brown, grey-brown or black, compressed-ellipsoid, longest dimension 4–5.5 mm., shorter dimension 3–4 mm., 1.5–2.2 mm. thick; rim-aril cream, ellipsoid with a narrow cartilaginous funicle remnant at one end. Fig. 22, p. 118.
