Small, glabrous tree to 15 m. Leaves clustered near the ends of the branches; petiole up to 40 cm, channelled above, 4-5 mm broad, with a sheathing base prolonged as a stipular ligule up to 5 cm long, and with several fimbriate crests encircling the lower part of the petiole; blade up to 45 cm ø, base cordate, deeply 5-9-lobed, lobes elliptic, slightly narrower towards the sinuses, acuminate, margin serrate and sometimes with small sub-lobes, sinuses rounded. Inflorescence a terminal, compound umbel, subspherical, to c. 20 cm ø at anthesis; peduncle c. 1-2 cm, with small caducous bracts below and among the numerous (20-60) primary rays; primary rays 3-5 cm long, 2-3 mm broad, with two opposite caducous bracts at the apex, each ending in three branches; central branch 6-10 mm long, bearing a spherical umbel of c. 20-30 small, sterile, bacciform, flowers (2-4 mm ø) on pedicels 4-6 mm long, 4-7-celled; two lateral branches c. 2½-5 cm long, rigid and straight, with no articulation (indistinct scars of bracts may occur below the involucre), bearing a minute involucre around the terminal umbellule of c. 12-20 flowers; pedicels to c. 5 mm (occasionally flowers subsessile). Calyx rim obsolete. Corolla irregularly 4-5-lobed above, tubular below, c. 5 mm long. Stamens 6-9, exserted, filaments stout. Ovary subcylindric, angled, c. 2 mm long, 6-9-celled, disk with a raised central stigmatic boss. Fruit globose, fleshy, c. 10 mm ø, strongly ribbed when dry.
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A small tree. The leaves are clustered near the ends of branches. The flowers are in a compound group at the ends of branches. The fruit are round and fleshy and 1 cm across.
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