A large shrub often climbing to a great height, with smooth and glabrous branches. Leaves thinly coriaceous with curved looping lateral veins, broadly elliptical or varying from obovate- to ovate-elliptical, usually shortly and obtusely or acutely acuminate, cuneate broadly rounded or rarely subcordate at the base, glabrous, shining above, rather paler and somewhat opaque beneath, 2–4 in. long, 1–2 1/4 in. broad; petiole 1/4 in. or less. Flowers white or sulphur-yellow or petals rose-coloured at the base, in axillary simple branched or fascicled racemes shorter than the leaves or in terminal pyramidal panicles consisting of alternate successively shorter spreading or ascending racemes. Bracts deciduous; pedicels filiform, 1/4– 1/2 in. long, spreading, Three outer sepals orbicular, 1/12– 1/10 in. Wing-sepals three to four times as long, orbicular, concave, white. Lateral petals oblong or obovate. Samara about 2 in. long, not much exceeding 1/2 in. in breadth above, gradually narrowed below.
Distribution
Angola Lower Guinea prov. Golungo Alto, Dr. Welwitsch!Upper Guinea Camaroons and Muni rivers, Mann!
Notes
The inflorescence varies as in other lianes forming the flowering crown of forest trees.
