Shrub or, more rarely, small deciduous tree, dioecious, up to 8 m in height in the western Mediterranean, whilst in the eastern Mediterranean it can reach 10-15 m in height with a trunk up to 2 m in diameter. Stems and old branches tortuous, with greyish bark, fissured, scaly. Young branches with reddish-brown, smooth bark. Leaves alternate, composed, imparipinnate, with (1)3-11(13) leaflets 2-8.5 \u00d7 1-4 cm. Leaflets opposite or subopposite, from ovate to elliptic, obtuse, mucronate, with entire margin, coriaceous, glabrous, bright green on the upper side and slightly paler on the underside. In autumn, as they dry, they turn into a carmine colour. Rachis not winged, glabrous. Inflorescence in ramose panicles, lateral, axillary, on the branches of the previous year, appearing before the leaves develop. Flowers very small and numerous, unisexual, reddish or brownish. Male flowers with 1-3 bracts and (2)4-5 sepaloid bracteoles, 5 stamens, with purple anthers. Female flowers with 1-3 bracts and 3-4(7) sepaloid bracteoles, pistil ending in 3 stigmas. Fruit an ovoid to subglobose drupe, up 9(12) mm, somewhat compressed, first greenish-yellowish, then red and finally blue, almost black if it contains a fertile seed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-13149","species","type-species","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n