A tree reaching 15–25 ft. high, with very thick corky spinose grey branches. Petioles reaching 6–7 in. long, sparsely muricated; leaflets subcoriaceous, always glabrous above, when young matted closely with deciduous brownish tomentum below; central one broader than deep, blunt, not at all lobed, reaching 6–8 in. long; petiolule 2–3 1/2 in. Flowers in dense racemes 2–5 in. long on woody densely grey-pubescent peduncles which exceed them. Bracts linear, deciduous. Bracteoles setaceous, 3–4 lines. Calyx 9–10 lines, grey-pubescent, slit more than halfway down on the lower side, the upper lip cut into five thickened oblong lobes not more than 1/8 in. long. Standard 16–18 lines long, 6–7 lines broad. Pod falcate, 3–4 in. long, 6–8-seeded, densely velvety when young, not seen mature.
Distribution
Lower Guinea Highlands of Golungo Alto, Dr. Welwitsch!
