Small tree to 6 m, flowering when a metre or so tall. Bark grey-green, inner bark orange. Leafy twigs 6–8 mm diam., tawny tomentose; apical buds with fist-shaped young leaves, densely tawny tomentose. Leaves to 45 cm long, 2-or 3-jugate, with apical spike to 15 mm or its scar; petiole 10–14 cm, ± angled, swollen weakly at base, like the rachis densely pilose, apical leaflets largest, 15–30 by 6–12 cm, elliptic to obovate, coriaceous, minutely rugulose in sicco, opposite to subopposite, bases gradually acute, ± symmetric, apices acuminate, glabrous adaxially, yellow-brown pilose abaxially especially on midrib and nerves, midrib stout, costae c. 10–15 on each side, obtuse arcuate, inarched only near margin and scarcely anastomosing, depressed adaxially and prominent abaxially when dry; petiolules 3-5 mm long, stout, densely tawny tomentose. Spikes 1.5–7.5 cm, supra-axillary on leafy or cicatrose twigs; rachis c. 4 mm diam., sericeous, woody. Flowers (only known in bud, description largely from King) sweetly scented. Calyx 4-toothed, densely tomentose without, broadly ovate, densely adpressed pubescent without, apices subacute. Petals 4, waxy. Staminal tube glabrous, margin 8-emarginate; anthers 8, oblong, exserted. Disk very small. Style pilose basally; style-head discoid, dimpled. Capsule at least 3 cm long, 2 cm diam., pear-shaped, apiculate, densely tomentose, orange-red, 3-or 4-valved. Seeds 2–4; testa brown.
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