Alcornoque, Pernillo de monte Tree, to at least 25 m; trunk commonly 60 (100) cm dbh; outer bark thin, hard, with a +/- reticulate pattern of very shallow fissures, flaking easily; inner bark granular, its outer surface reddish with large whitish spots; stems weakly flexuous, with ribs extending downward below each petiole; stems, petioles, and midribs densely pubescent, the trichomes matted, short, brown. Leaves alternate, imparipinnate, 25-40 cm long; petioles 6-10 cm long, the basal pulvinus prominent; petiolules ca 6 mm long; leaflets usually 9, oblong, abruptly acuminate and downturned at apex, obtuse to slightly cordate at base, 7-18 cm long, 4-7.5 cm wide, coriaceous, glabrous above, sparsely appressed-pubescent and somewhat viscid below, more densely so on veins, the margins turned somewhat upward and wavy in age; secondary veins in 10-16 pairs, prominently raised on lower surface. Inflorescences cymose-paniculate, terminal, to 30 cm long; flowers purple; calyx tomentulose, 7-9 mm long, 5-lobed to half its length; corolla 1-1.5 cm long, rose-purple. Legumes flattened, oblong to obovate, 3.5-5 cm long, 2-2.5 cm wide, glabrous, abruptly narrowed at apex, the valves reddish-brown at maturity, opening to expose seeds; seed 1 (rarely 2), red and black, somewhat flattened, ca 1 cm long. Croat 5120. Occasional, in the forest and along the shore. Flowers from June to August. The fruits probably mature in 4-6 weeks, but may persist with the colorful seeds exposed until about flowering time of the next year. Plants are deciduous before flowering. Panama to Brazil. In Panama, known only from tropical moist forest on BCI.