Thulin, M (1993) Fabaceae in Flora of Somalia 1: 341-465
Leaflets usually less that 35 mm long and wide. Fruiting pedicels up to 7 mm long; valves of the pods more prominently ridged lengthwise, straight or gently decurved distally; ventral sutures about 3 mm wide; seeds bright sulphur yellow; hila rarely more than 2 mm wide.
Thulin commented that Erythrina melanacantha subsp. somala aso seems to differ from Erythrina melanacantha subsp. melanacantha in having smoother bark and a bushy habit.
Erythrina melanacantha subsp. somala grows in acacia-Commiphora bushland at 80-870 m. It is known from regions N1-3, C1-2, and S1 of the Flora of Somalia and eastern Ethiopia and Socotra.