Description
Key Characters:
Growth Form:
Trees to 15 m tall, andromonoecious, evergreen, unarmed.
Stems:
Roots:
Leaves:
Leaves compound (palmate).
Alternate.
Leaflets 6–9(–11), elliptic to oblong–elliptic or obovate–elliptic, 7–18 × 3–5 cm.
Apex abruptly acute to acuminate.
Base attenuate or cuneate to obtuse or rounded.
Surfaces densely stellate pubescent when young, glabrescent except on midvein and in axils of veins; blade papery to leathery.
Margins entire, often serrate or pinnately lobed on young plants.
Secondary veins 7–10 pairs, tertiary veins inconspicuous.
Petioles (5–)10–30 cm; petiolules 1.5–5 cm.
Stipules united within petiole.
Flowers:
Flowers in inflorescence a terminal panicle of umbels, densely stellate tomentose, glabrescent; primary axis to 35 cm; secondary axes 25(–35) cm, with a terminal umbel of bisexual flowers and several to many lateral umbels of bisexual or more often male flowers, usually also with 1 to several bisexual flowers borne just below apical umbel; pedicels 4–5 mm.
Flowers bisexual (perfect).
Calyx pubescent at first, entire or 5– or 6-toothed.
Petals valvate.
Stamens usually as many as and alternate with the petals, istinct, inserted at the edge of the epigynous nectary disk.
Ovary inferior, 5–9(or 10)-carpellate; styles united into a thick column less than 1.5 mm.
Fruit:
Drupes globose; ca. 5 mm in diam.; inconspicuously angled when dry; styles persistent; to ca. 1.5 mm.
Seeds laterally compressed.
Ploidy:
Habitat:
Mountain slopes.
Elevation Range:
100–2100 m.