Botany
An erect, smooth shrub or small tree, 1.5 to 5 meters high. The branches are armed with a few scattered spines. Leaves are bipinnate, 4-8 pairs, 6 to 12 cm long. Leaflets are stalkless, 7 to 11 pairs, elliptic, and 1 ro 2 cm long. Flowers are red and yellow, borne on terminal racemes, about 4 cm in diameter. Petals are crisp and clawed. The pod is nearly straight, flat, smooth, 5-8 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, containing 6-8 seeds.

Distribution
Cultivated for ornamental use.

Constituents and chemical properties
Leaves contain gallic acid, gum, tannin, resin, benzoic acid, and salts.
The odor of the plant resembles savin.
Leaves reported to be purgative and emmenagogue.
Flowers are reported to be tonic, purgative, febrifuge, and emmenagogue.
Seeds and flowers are reported to be abortifacient.

Parts utilized
Roots, leaves, flowers, and bark.

Folkloric uses
Decoction of roots used for fevers.
Infusion of the bark used as wash for the teeth and gums.
Infusion of leaves used for colds, fevers, skin ailments and purging.
Reported to be abortifacient.
Decoction of leaves used as mouth wash and gargle for mouth ulcers.
Decoction of flowers used for erysipelas and inflammation of the eyes.
Powdered flowers used as insecticide.
Fruit is astringent and used for diarrhea and dysentery.

Availability
Ornamental cultivation.
Wildcrafted.