3601.000 Castanospermum A. Cunn. ex Hook.

An evergreen tree up to 30 m tall. Leaves usually odd-pinnately compound (terminal leaf may be absent) with 10-15 elliptic-oblong leaflets. Inflorescences comprising racemes which are produced on woody bosses along the trunk and main branches and bearing long, waxy, pea-type flowers that open vivid yellow with green tinges and age to orange-red with stamens that protrude well beyond the petals. Fruit are woody pods that split open releasing 1-5 globose, black seeds. Seeds poisonous when raw but edible when cooked.

Worldwide: Genus of one species only, native to Australia, Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

Zimbabwe: 1 cultivated taxon.