Small tree, up to 10 m, with few stout branches. Leaves large, forming terminal crowns, glabrous when mature, young inflorescence densely furfuraceous; petiole to 1 m, stout (to 2 cm ø), flattened above, base clasping the stem, heavily lenticellate, prolonged as a stipular ligule 2 cm long, bicuspid, often with scales or bristles on the back, and bearing few to several entire, fimbriate or occasionally long setose crests; blade to 60 cm long, palmately 10-19-lobed, base cordate, lobes reaching to near the base, lanceolate to oblong, up to 15 cm wide, in outline either strap-shaped or irregularly pinnatisect, or the central lobe occasionally distinctly tripartite, margin coarsely and irregularly dentate, apex acuminate. Inflorescence a terminal compound umbel c. 40 cm ø; peduncle stout c. 6 cm, 1.5 cm wide, bearing many lanceolate scaly bracts 3-6 cm long; primary rays numerous, rigid, flattened, 9-12 cm long, 6-10 mm broad, bearing opposite oblong scaly bracts (2-3 cm long) at the apex, each ending in three branches; central branch 1.5-1 cm long, terminating in an umbellule (3-5 cm ø) of c. 20-40 sterile bacciform flowers, 7 mm ø, 2-3-celled, pedicels 1-2 cm long, surrounded by an involucre of small bracts (to 8 mm long); lateral branches c. 12 cm long, with opposite bracts (6-10 mm long) near the middle, terminating in a head of c. 50-60 sessile flowers, 1.5-2 cm ø (with corollas), heads spherical at anthesis, ovoid after corollas absciss; bracts between the flowers very small. Calyx rim obsolete. Corolla 5-6-lobed, tubular below, 4-5 mm long. Stamens 4-6, filaments 7 mm long, anthers 1.5 mm long. Ovary 2-3 mm long (at anthesis), 5-6-celled. Fruits crowded in dense ovoid heads 3-4 by 2½-3 cm, drupes c. 9 by 5 mm, 5-6-angled by mutual pressure, narrowed to the base, crowned by the persistent stigmatic boss; pyrenes crustaceous; endosperm wrinkled.
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