Information

Low spreading much-branched shrub 1–2 m. tall or a small tree up to c. 8 m. tall, spiny, bark grey and papery; young branches glabrous. Leaves 1-foliolate or very rarely (? only at the northern extremity of the range in N. Rhodesia) with very much smaller lateral leaflets; petiole up to 2 mm. long, glabrous or with a few minute glands and 4: pilose; leaflet-lamina up to 7·5 × 3·2 cm. (but usually smaller), narrowly obovate to obovate or more rarely elliptic, apex acute or sometimes obtuse, margins crenate-serrate, base cuneate, glabrous on both surfaces or with a few scattered glands especially towards the base of the midrib, rarely shortly pubescent when very young. Flowers appearing before the leaves in subsessile clusters on short side-shoots or on the spines. Calyx c. 2 mm. long, lobed to halfway, glabrous or ± densely glandular. Petals 4–5 mm. long. Disk-lobes 4. Stamen-filaments slender, subterete. Fruit c. 9 × 7 mm., broadly ellipsoid, somewhat asymmetric with abruptly pointed apex, glabrous; pseudaril with 3 (4) arms; endocarp c. 7 × 5 mm., smooth.

Information

Low spreading much-branched shrub 1–2 m. tall or a small tree up to c. 8 m. tall, spiny, bark grey and papery; young branches glabrous. Leaves 1-foliolate or very rarely (? only at the northern extremity of the range in N. Rhodesia) with very much smaller lateral leaflets; petiole up to 2 mm. long, glabrous or with a few minute glands and 4: pilose; leaflet-lamina up to 7·5 × 3·2 cm. (but usually smaller), narrowly obovate to obovate or more rarely elliptic, apex acute or sometimes obtuse, margins crenate-serrate, base cuneate, glabrous on both surfaces or with a few scattered glands especially towards the base of the midrib, rarely shortly pubescent when very young. Flowers appearing before the leaves in subsessile clusters on short side-shoots or on the spines. Calyx c. 2 mm. long, lobed to halfway, glabrous or ± densely glandular. Petals 4–5 mm. long. Disk-lobes 4. Stamen-filaments slender, subterete. Fruit c. 9 × 7 mm., broadly ellipsoid, somewhat asymmetric with abruptly pointed apex, glabrous; pseudaril with 3 (4) arms; endocarp c. 7 × 5 mm., smooth.

Information

Low spreading much-branched shrub 1–2 m. tall or a small tree up to c. 8 m. tall, spiny, bark grey and papery; young branches glabrous. Leaves 1-foliolate or very rarely (? only at the northern extremity of the range in N. Rhodesia) with very much smaller lateral leaflets; petiole up to 2 mm. long, glabrous or with a few minute glands and 4: pilose; leaflet-lamina up to 7·5 × 3·2 cm. (but usually smaller), narrowly obovate to obovate or more rarely elliptic, apex acute or sometimes obtuse, margins crenate-serrate, base cuneate, glabrous on both surfaces or with a few scattered glands especially towards the base of the midrib, rarely shortly pubescent when very young. Flowers appearing before the leaves in subsessile clusters on short side-shoots or on the spines. Calyx c. 2 mm. long, lobed to halfway, glabrous or ± densely glandular. Petals 4–5 mm. long. Disk-lobes 4. Stamen-filaments slender, subterete. Fruit c. 9 × 7 mm., broadly ellipsoid, somewhat asymmetric with abruptly pointed apex, glabrous; pseudaril with 3 (4) arms; endocarp c. 7 × 5 mm., smooth.