Tree 4-6 m tall. Younger branches and shoots tomentose. Leaves impari¬pinnate; leaflets opposite to subopposite, subsessile, elliptic to ovate, 5-8.5 cm long, 3-4.5 cm broad, the terminal the largest; acuminate, upper surface glabrous, lower sparsely pubescent. Flowers in axillary tomentose panicles. Bract 1.5 mm long, ovate. Pedicel 2 mm long. Sepals 3.5 mm long, ovate, imbricate, persistent. Petals 8-9 mm long, elliptic oblong, lilac to purple, slightly connate above the base. Stamens 10, often 5 antheriferous, alternating with 5 staminodes; filament 2 mm long, curved, persistent, base dilated; anthers obovate to ovate, basifixed; Ovary c. 1.8 mm long, pubescent, with 5 acute lobes; styles 5, glandular, persistent; stigma capitate. Berry 6-7.5 cm long, narrowly oblong, acutely 5 ridged, yellow when mature. Seeds arillate, often few abortive in fruit.

Fl. Per. Twice a year; January-February and August-September.

Type: Herb. Hermann, vol. 4: fol. 70; vol. 2: fol. 16 (BM).

Distribution: Cultivated in parts of China, India, Burma, Malaysia and Madagascar; ornamental in parts of S. America.

A beautiful tree when in full bloom with pale rose coloured flowers. The sour fruit is eaten raw or cooked. The juice of the fruit is used to remove stains from linen. The fruit when dried is used as an antiscorbutic, in fevers and as a cooling agent; when ripe it is helpful for bleeding piles.