Caesalpinia oppositifolia

Author: Hattink

Morphological description
Liana; branchlets unarmed or with prickles. Stipules suborbicular, persistent, up to 35 by 45 mm.

Leaves opposite, bipinnate; rachis 25–50 cm, shortly pubescent or glabrous; pinnae 4–6 pairs. Leaflets opposite or subopposite, petiolulate (c. 1 mm), 5–8 pairs per pinna, elliptic- or ovate-oblong, 4–10 by 1.5–4.5 cm, base unequal, apex acute to obtuse, emarginate, glabrous.

Inflorescences axillary and terminal, racemose, up to 40 cm long, rachis pubescent, glabrescent; bracts boat-shaped, c. 3 by 1 mm, caducous; pedicels 5–10 mm, articulated c. 0.5 mm from the base, pubescent.

Flowers pubescent. Hypanthium c. 2 mm deep and 3 mm wide. Sepals c. 3 by 1.5 mm. Petals spathulate, 4–5 by 2 mm, very shortly clawed. Filaments c. 5 mm; anthers c. 0.75 mm long, glabrous. Ovary c. 2 mm long, 2-ovuled; style 1–2 mm, hairy at the lower half, stigma ciliate.

Pods (detached) c. 9 by 4 cm, dehiscent, base rounded, apex truncate, beaked at the upper angle.

Seeds 2, ovoid in outline, flat, c. 27 by 3 mm, black.

Distribution
Malesia: Sabah (Sandakan region and Mt Kinabalu).

Habitat
Riverbanks and open spaces in primary forests, up to 600 m altitude.

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