Zanthoxylum brachyacanthum

Description

This is a small tree, up to 15 metres tall and 35 cm around the trunk. The bark is grey, wrinkled and features sharp pointed lenticels on young trees. Older trees appear more smooth barked. Trees are mostly not buttressed or flanged at the base. The leaves are alternate and pinnate, with five to sixteen shiny leaflets. Leaflets are alternate, 4 to 9 cm long, egg shaped or oblong, usually toothed and with evident oil glands. The branchlets have prickles and are green or blue/green. The leaf scars are noticeable. The flowers appear on panicles from October to November. They are pink or red, with a yellowish centre. The flowers are very attractive to insects because of their nectar. The fruit matures from February to May, being a single cocci, bright red and shiny. It later changes color to a wrinkled dark brown, each fruit being 10 mm long. The cocci splits into two valves, with one black seed each, and are 6 mm long and shiny, attached by a membrane of a similar length. The seed germination is erratic