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Small tree or shrub to 10 m. tall. Young axes densely golden-hairy with crisped short hairs and long spreading coarse hairs; older twigs glabrous, grey or black. Leaves bipinnate, superficially legume-like; petiole 0.3–0.8 cm. long; primary rhachis (4–)6–20 cm. long, pubescent; secondary rhachides in 4–10 pairs, mostly opposite, pubescent; leaflets in (3–)8–18 pairs, sessile, the lowermost shorter, otherwise oblong, 1–2.5 cm. long, 2.5–8 mm. wide, apex rounded or slightly emarginate or very minutely apiculate or (not in East Africa) finely acuminate, the base obliquely wedge-shaped, glabrous and glossy apart from hairs on the margin and midrib; midrib conspicuous, lateral nerves fern-like, closely-set and not prominent. Thyrse unbranched, 4–13(–20) cm. long; flowers single and in groups of 2–4; pedicels of male flowers 1 mm., of female flowers 2 mm. long; subtending bracts 0.2–0.5 mm. long. Sepals broadly ovate, concave, unequal, 1.3–2 mm. long, thin-textured, glabrous apart from ciliate margin; petals broadly triangular, 1–1.5 mm. long, 1.5–1.8 mm. wide, toothed, the lateral margins infolded, very densely hairy. Stamens 7–8, exserted; anthers 0.8 mm. long, glabrous. Ovary rudiment in male flowers very reduced. Capsule red or purple, 1.1–1.5 cm. wide, glabrous. Seed single.