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Small tree 3.5–12 m. tall with rather nodular gnarled grey branches; bark red, brittle, reticulate, flaking off in patches, with orange layer beneath. Leaves up to ± 23 cm. long; petiole 1–5 cm. long, ferruginous pubescent; leaf rhachis 4–35 cm. long, similarly pubescent; leaflets in 3–8 pairs, often not exactly opposite, ovate, elliptic or almost round, the lower pairs considerably smaller than the upper; upper leaflets 8–15 cm. long, 4–8 cm. wide, obtuse at the apex, truncate to cordate at the base, crenate towards the apex or rarely entire, glabrous to sparsely or densely ferruginous pubescent; lateral nerves in up to 14 pairs, the venation prominently reticulate beneath; petiolules 1–3 mm. long. Male inflorescences precocious, ± sessile clusters, 1.5 cm. wide, forming masses ± 5 cm. wide, peduncles sometimes 0.5–?3 cm. long; female inflorescences tawny felted, with peduncle up to 2 cm. long, lengthening in fruit. Flowers greenish, sweet-scented; sepals 5, 4 mm. long, united for 1 mm. at base; disk cup-shaped, 0.7 mm. high. Stamens and staminodes 5; filaments of stamens 9 mm. long; anthers 1.2 mm. long. Fruit bright orange, ellipsoid, up to 2.6 cm. long, 1.3–1.8 cm. wide, velvety; sepals and style base persistent; stalks 0.3–1.9 cm. long. Fig. 3/1–4.