Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Giant liana.

Stems: Stems with a 3 m girth, sometimes with prickles.

Roots: Taprooted.

Leaves: Leaves compound. Alternate. Leaves with 1–2 pairs of pinnae, leaflets (1)2–4 pairs per pinna, obliquely elliptic, 2.5–10 cm long, 1–6 cm wide. Apex caudate. Base acute. Surfaces glabrous or pubescent on midrib and margins. Leaflet margins entire. Pinnately veined. Petiolate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers numerous in racemes. Flowers mimosaceous, bisexual (perfect) or staminate. Calyx red or green, campanulate, 5-toothed. Corolla of 5 petals, green or cream, base reddish, 2–3.5 mm long. Stamens 10, exserted; 4–6 mm; filaments shortly connate; filaments shortly connate at base and adnate to corolla (only distinct in younger stages); anthers with a caducous apical gland. Ovary superior; ovules numerous.

Fruit: Pods oblong; very large; straight or curved; often very large; compressed; sutures thickened; continuous in a persistent replum; the valves transversely jointed; breaking away from sutures; and splitting into 1–seeded segments; leaving the empty replum. Seeds usually 10–20; brownish red; lenticular; 4–6 cm in diameter; compressed; smooth and glossy; enveloped by the endocarp of the loment.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Montane mesic forest.

Elevation Range: 900–1700 m.