红毛丹 hong mao dan

Trees, evergreen, ca. 10 m tall. Branches grayish brown, terete, rugose, ferruginous pilosulose when young. Leaves with petiole 15-45 cm, axis slightly strong, rugose when dry; leaflets (1 or)2 or 3(or 4) pairs; petiolules ca. 5 mm; blades elliptic or obovate, 6-18 × 4-7.5 cm, thinly leathery, glabrous, lateral veins 7-9 pairs, brownish red when dry, only prominent abaxially, net veins slightly honeycombed, visible on both surfaces when dry, base cuneate, margin entire, apex obtuse or slightly rounded, sometimes nearly acute. Inflorescences many branched, nearly as long as or longer than leaves, ferruginous tomentose. Pedicels short. Calyx ca. 2 mm, leathery; sepals ovate, tomentose. Petals absent. Stamens ca. 3 mm. Fruit reddish yellow, broadly ellipsoid, including spines ca. 5 × 4.5 cm, spines ca. 1 cm. Fl. early summer, fr. early autumn.

Cultivated in Guangdong and Hainan [native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand; cultivated in SE Asia].

The fruit is edible.