Erect, unbranched or sparsely branched shrub or tree to 8 m, becoming glabrous except for the inflorescence. Leaves clustered at the ends of the branches; petiole to 40 cm, with a clasping base prolonged as a short stipular ligule, and with several basal entire or shortly fimbriate crests; blade to 33 cm ø, base truncate or cordate, deeply palmately 3-7-lobed, sinuses broad, rounded, lobes elliptic, usually narrowed below, entire or with subsidiary lobes (the central lobe especially often narrow below and strongly pinnately lobed), apex acute, margin coarsely serrate, coriaceous; uppermost leaves often reduced and simple. Inflorescence a terminal compound, subsessile umbel 10-15 cm ø; primary rays c. 20-30, 2-3 cm long, subtended by lanceolate furfuraceous and ± fimbriate bracts, furfuraceous villose or ± hirsute, with opposite rounded or lanceolate hirsute bracts at the apex, each ending in three branches; central branch c. 2-8 mm long, hirsute, ending in an involucre of minute bracts (1 mm) surrounding a globose (2 cm ø) umbellule of c. 15-20 sterile flowers (c. 6 by 6 mm, 2-3-celled), pedicels 2-3 mm, hirsute; lateral branches c. 2.5-3.5 cm long at anthesis, with an articulation about the middle, ± hirsute, ending in a globose head, 2 cm ø (with open corollas), with ovate tomentose obtuse bracts, c. 2 mm long; flowers 30-40, ± sessile (rarely pedicels to 2 mm). Calyx rim obsolete. Corolla 4-5-lobed above, tubular below, 3.5-4 mm long. Stamens 4-5, exserted, filament stout, 5 mm, anther 1 mm long. Ovary 4-5-celled. Fruit 6 by 5 mm (dry), strongly 4-5-ribbed.
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