Panama redwood

Platymiscium pinnatum is a medium-sized deciduous tree of the Fabaceae family growing 12-30 m tall with a long clean cylindrical bole and a spreading, rounded to flat-topped crown. The bark is grey to greyish-brown, shallowly fissured and exfoliates in small plates; the inner bark is reddish and exudes a small amount of dark resinous sap when cut. Leaves are alternate (rather than opposite as in some congeners) and imparipinnate, 15-25 cm long, with 5-9 ovate to elliptic-oblong leaflets 4-10 cm long; leaflets are entire, glabrous and dark glossy green above with a paler dull green underside and an acuminate apex. Inflorescences are dense pendulous racemes or short panicles 6-15 cm long borne on the previous year's leafless wood in early spring, often before or with the new flush of leaves. Flowers are pea-like, fragrant, 1.5-2 cm long with a bright yellow standard streaked reddish at the base, paler wings and keel, and conspicuously protruding stamens. The fruit is a flat oblong indehiscent samara-like pod 5-9 cm long with a single seed in a thickened central area and a broad papery wing surrounding it. Native to seasonally dry tropical forests of Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America.