A small shrub with rather whip-like slightly fleshy branches up to 1 m. tall.. Bark greyish brown.. Young shoots densely villous at first, later glabrescent.. Leaves petiolate, crowded at the apices of the stems; leaf-blade deeply 5-palmatipartite or pedati-partite, the median lobe oblanceolate, 0.7–1.6 cm. long, 4–5 mm. wide, the laterals progressively smaller, acute, closely glandular-serrate, broadly cordate to subtruncate, with 4–6 pairs of lateral nerves per lobe, densely pubescent above and beneath at first, later becoming only sparingly so; petiole 0.5–1.5 cm. long, evenly pubescent.. Stipules bi-or tripartite, 1–2(–3) mm. long, the segments filiform, gland-tipped, pubescent below, glabrous above, later breaking off to leave a spine-like base.. Inflorescences terminal or subterminal, up to 5 cm. long, few-flowered; axis evenly pubescent; bracts triangular-lanceolate, 1–2 mm. long, acute, glandular-denticulate, subglabrous.. Male flowers: calyx-lobes ovate-oblong, 1.5 mm. long, ± 1 mm. wide, rounded, entire, glabrous; petals obovate, cohering at the base, 2 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, rounded, pubescent within at the base, otherwise glabrous, reddish yellow; disc-glands free, erect, turbinate, truncate; stamens 8, the 5 outer united for half their length, with the filaments 1 mm. long, the 3 inner united for two-thirds their length, with the filaments 1.5 mm. long, anthers ovoid, 0.7 mm. long.. Female flowers: calyx-lobes oblong, 3 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, rounded, glandular-denticulate towards the apex, pubescent without, glabrous within; petals oblanceolate, 4–5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, obtuse, otherwise as in ♂; disc 5-lobed, the lobes flattened, rounded; ovary subglobose-trilobed, 1.5 mm. long, 1.5 mm. diameter, glabrous; styles almost free to the base, 1 mm. long, stigmas capitate, bilobed.. Fruit subglobose-trilobed, 1 cm. long, 1 cm. diameter, dehiscing septicidally.. Immature seeds ovate-oblong, ± 7 mm. long, 4 mm. wide, with a fimbriate caruncle 2.5 mm. wide.
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