Tree or shrub, unbranched or sparingly branched, up to 16 m, the young parts rufous-furfuraceous, glabrescent. Large leaves forming terminal crowns; petiole up to 1 m, stout (1-2 cm broad), flattened above, with a sheathing base prolonged as a strong stipular ligule up to 7 cm long, and with fimbriate crests encircling the lower part of the petiole; blade up to 1.20 m ø, with 5-7 strong ribs radiating from the top of the petiole, deeply lobed almost to the base of these ribs, the lobes in turn deeply lobed and incised, the central lobes especially being strongly pinnatisect or digitately tripartite, apices acute, margins serrate; upper leaves associated with inflorescences may be smaller, more simply lobed, or entire. Inflorescence terminal, a large compound umbel, bowl-shaped, up to 35 cm ø; peduncle up to 10 cm, stout, with lanceolate caducous bracts (c. 4 cm long) below and among the nuiherous (c. 50-70) primary rays; primary rays c. 12-15 cm long at anthesis, c. 3 mm ø, bearing two caducous bracts (1 cm long) at the apex, each ray ending in three branches; central branch c. 2 cm long, bearing an umbel of c. 20-40, sterile, bacciform flowers (c. 6 mm ø when dry) on pedicels c. 10 mm, and 2-6-celled; the two lateral branches c. 4-6 cm, with two opposite or sub-opposite bracts about the middle, terminating in a subspherical umbel 2.5-3 cm ø of 30-50 flowers on pedicels c. 8-10 mm long. Calyx rim obsolete, undulate. Petals with irregular erect lobes, tubular below. Stamens 6-10 exserted. Ovary turbinate somewhat angled; glabrous, 6-14-celled; disk flat with a central double row of pustulate stigmas. Fruits on stiff radiating pedicels, ovoid or spherical, fleshy, ribbed when dry.
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