Glabrous, small tree, 8 m. Leaves clustered near the ends of the branches; petiole up to 35 cm, narrowly channelled above, c. 3 mm broad, with a sheathing base prolonged as a stipular ligule c. 2 cm long, continued around the back of the leaf-base as a single wide crest with an entire recurved margin; blade up to 30 cm ø, base cordate, deeply 5-7-lobed, lobes elliptic, slightly narrowed towards the sinuses and with a short acute apiculum, margin minutely serrate and sometimes with small sub-lobes, sinuses rounded. Inflorescence a terminal compound umbel, hemispherical, c. 14 cm ø at anthesis; peduncle c. 1 cm long, bearing small lanceolate bracts (c. 3 mm long) below and among the numerous (c. 20-24) primary rays; primary rays 4-5 cm long and 1 mm broad, with opposite bracts (2 mm long) at the apex, each ending in three branches; the central branch 5-6 mm long, bearing a spherical umbel of c. 20 small, sterile, bacciform flowers (2 mm ø) on pedicels c. 5-7 mm long, 2-celled; the two lateral branches c. 3.5-4 cm long, with no articulation or bracts except for a minute involucre around the terminal umbellule of c. 10-14 flowers; pedicels c. 2-3 mm. Calyx rim obsolete; corolla 4-lobed, 2 mm long in bud; stamens 4; ovary subcylindric, angled, c. 1 mm long, 5-7-celled, disk with a central stylar boss. Fruit spherical, c. 6 mm long, strongly ribbed when dry.
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