Compilation
Brachystegia velutina

Tree or treelet 1–7(–9) m. high; mature bark rough, reticulate to fissured, persistent, grey; crown umbrella-shaped or flat; foliage maturing green, often glaucous beneath. Stipules shortly connate, linear to falcate, 1–2 cm. long, usually persistent; auricle usually very persistent and conspicuous, 1–2 cm. long, broadly reniform; intrapetiolar stipule-bases persistent, subtending flattened and laterally keeled dormant buds. Leaves with (5–)6–8(–10) pairs of leaflets, the middle pairs usually the largest; petiole 1–2 cm. long; rhachis (6–)8–15(–20) cm. long, channelled; stipellar expansions variable, often obscure or 0; leaflets oblong-elliptic or more rarely narrowed to the retuse or rounded apex, (2–)3–6(–8) × (1–)1.5–2(–4) cm., ± obliquely rounded to cordate at base; midrib subcentral; basal fanwise nerves (3–)4–5(–6). Racemes simple or few-branched, terminal or terminal and axillary. Flowers few, large; bracteoles 13–20 × 6–10 mm. Tepals 6–8(–11), imbricate, usually all sepaloid and grading from broad to narrow, 4–8 mm. long, densely long-ciliate, or obscurely in 2 whorls with the inner spathulate to vestigial. Stamens 13–18 (sometimes with staminodes, totalling ± 20); filaments 25–30(–40) mm. long, ± connate, the tube usually subequal to the tepals. Ovary 8–10 × 1.5–3 mm., ± densely crispate-setose, tapering gradually into the 20–30 mm. long erect style with small stigma. Pod woody, up to 15(–22) × 5 cm., smooth but often transversely nervose, rarely scurfy in patches, maturing pinkish- (usually pale) brown; sutural wings stiffly spreading, each 4–8 mm. wide. Fig. 35/13.