Shrub or small tree 2-15(-25) m; branches terete, tips finely appressed-pubescent, soon glabrescent. Leaves in mature specimens simple, ovate-oblong or elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, obtusely or rarely subacutely slightly acuminate, tapering into the petiole, subcoriaceous, brown when dry, finely appressed-puberulous when young, soon glabrous, 8-16 by (2½-)3-6 cm, 5-plinerved from the base. Leaves from young specimens or sprouts repeatedly pinnately dissected and fern-like, quite different from the normal leaves, segments sometimes only 2 mm broad; petiole 0.75-2 cm. Inflorescences axillary, densely and persistently sericeous by a mixture of whitish and rusty hairs, consisting of a solitary umbel or of a short raceme of 2-4 umbels. Peduncles slender, 1-2 cm, bearing an umbel of (10-) 15-20(-30) green or brownish-yellowish flowers. Pedicels c. 4-5 mm, slender, thickened at the apex into a very oblique torus bearing the thick, unilateral, horseshoe-shaped disk. Perianth incl. the limb 6-7 mm, tube 0.6 mm diam., limb globular 1.5 mm diam. Stipe 5-6 mm, ferrugineous-sericeous as is the ovary, inserted in the lowest part of the torus; style slender, glabrous, 4-5 mm after anthesis. Fruits pod-like, several together, narrow-oblong, subterete, curved with slight constrictions, acuminate, 4-12 cm by c. 4-5 mm across, glabrous, woody, splitting unilaterally lengthwise, the halves flattening out. Seeds subquadrate, very thin, c. 5 mm across.
Both in river-side rain-forest and on open slopes of grass and ferns, once found on serpentine rock covered with humus, from the lowland up to 1000 m, occasionally common. Fl. June-July, fr.--12.
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