A small thorny tree with prickly branches. Leaves with 8-12 pairs of oblong leafletsand small prickles; leaflets inequilateral and rounded at the apex. Flowers yellow interminal and axillary panicles. Fruits woody, sub-compressed with a hard recurvedshort beak. Seeds 3-4 per pod. (India) A small shrubby tree, 4-8m, long-lived, evergreen tree up to 30m tall, with a shortstocky trunk; in some cultivars branches crooked or twisting, spreading, forming acrown broader than hight; in other cultivars branches fairly straight and upright,forming a compact rounded crown. Leaves alternate, pinnately compound, 2-4(-5)jugate, petiolules 3-8mm long; leaflets oblong lanceolate, (3-)8-11(-16)cm x 1,75-4cm,chartaceous to coriaceous, glossy and deep green above, glaucous beneath.Inflorescences many-branched panicles, 5-30cm long, many flowered; flowers small,yellowish-white, functionally male or female; calyx 4-merous; corolla absent; stamens6(-10), filaments in male flowers at least twice the length of the calyx, in femaleflowers very short. Fruit a rounded, ovoid or heart-shaped drupe, ca. 3-3,5cm indiameter; exocarp thin, leathery, bright red to purplish, nearly smooth or scaly todensely set with flat, conical, acute warts; the fleshy edible portion is the aril; anoutgrowth of the seed stalk, in good fruits comprising 70-80% of the fruit weight; arilwhite and translucent. Seed 10-23mm x 6-12mm, brown. (Indonesia) A shrub or small tree up to 10m tall; branchlets usually armed with recurved prickles;leaves paripinnate, rachis 25-40cm long, with 9-14 pairs of pinnae, pinna 6-15cm long,stipules 3-4mm long, caducous, leaflets opposite, 10-20 pairs per pinna, baseobliquely truncate, apex retuse or rounded; panicle supra-axillary or terminal, 10-40cm long; flowers bisexual, sepals 7-10mm x 4mm, petals 9-12mm x 6-10mm, theupper one smaller, ovary with 3-6 ovules; pod flat oblongoid-obovoid, 6-10cm x 3-4cm, 2-5-seeded, dehiscent, glabrous; seed ellipsoid, brown or black. (Malaysia) A shrub or small tree up to 10m tall, branchlets usually armed with recurved prickles;leaves paripinnate; flowers bisexual; pod flat, 2-5 seeded, dehiscent; seed ellipsoid,brown or black. (Philippines) Small tree, 5-7m. in height, with hard wood, brownish-red. Stems prickly. Youngshoots tomentose, branches glabrous; covered with short spines. Leaves altemate,pinnate; leaflets trapeziform, glabrous above, tomentose beneath. (Vietnam)
Indonesia - Manoko Philippines - UPLB National Plant and Genetic Resources Laboratory Sri Lanka - Naula, Bibila, Meegahak, Pinna, Haldummu Vietnam - Sa Pa