A shrub with rubbery latex up to 3.5 m. tall, but commonly not exceeding 2 m., sometimes only a shrublet 45–60 cm. (var. torrentis-lugardi).. Bark brown, lightly fissured.. Stems somewhat fleshy.. Young shoots glabrous or pubescent.. Leaves long-petiolate; leaf-blade (3–)5-palmatipartite, the median lobe oblanceolate-obovate, 3–7(–11) cm. long, 1–4 cm. wide, the laterals progressively smaller, acute or subacute, rarely obbtuse, entire or minutely glandular-denticulate, rarely more coarsely so, cordate, with 6–10 pairs of lateral nerves per lobe, glabrous (var. hildebrandtii) or evenly pubescent above and beneath; petiole (1.5–)3–10(–12) cm. long, glabrous or pubescent, often reddish-purple tinged.. Stipules multifid, 2–12 mm. long, the segments filiform, gland-tipped, later breaking off to leave an indurated, spine-like base.. Inflorescences supra-axillary or subterminal, subcorymbose, up to 15 cm. long; axis glabrous, or sparingly to densely pubescent; bracts linear-lanceolate, 3–6 mm. long, acute, the margin beset with stalked glands, especially at the base, glabrous or pubescent.. Male flowers: calyx-lobes broadly ovate, 1.5 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. wide, rounded, entire, glabrous green, tinged reddish; petals broadly obovate, cohering at the base, 3 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, rounded, pubescent within at the base, otherwise glabrous, greenish; disc-glands free, erect, turbinate, truncate; stamens 8, the 5 outer united for two-thirds-three-quarters their length and with the filaments 2 mm. long, the 3 inner united for five-sixths their length and with the filaments 2.5 mm. long, anthers broadly ovoid, 0.5 mm. long, yellow.. Female flowers: calyx-lobes lanceolate, 4 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide at the base, acute, the margins evenly beset with subsessile or shortly stalked glands, glabrous; petals ± as in male, but slightly larger; disc-glands ± free, erect, flattened, truncate; ovary ovoid, 1.5 mm. long, 1.25 mm. diameter, glabrous; styles united at the base, 1.5 mm. long, erect, stigmas thickened, deeply bifid.. Fruit roundly trilobed, 1 cm. long, 8–9 mm. diameter, dehiscing septicidally.. Seeds oblong-ellipsoid, 8 mm. long, 4–5 mm. wide, pale greyish buff, lightly flecked with brown, shiny, with a patelliform, fimbriate caruncle 3–4 m. wide.
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