A large shrub or tree-like, 3-8 m tall with hollow stem and pruinose young branches. Leaves with 5-20 cm long petiole; stipules connate, forming on ovate, up to 2 cm long sheath, caducous, leaving a circular scar; blades 5-11-lobed, about 20-50 cm across, glabrous; lobes glandular, serrate, 10-20 x 2-5 cm, lanceolate to ovate. Inflorescence 10-30 cm long. Male flowers: pedicels about 1 cm long, articulate; calyx about 2 cm across, connate, lobes 6-8 x 3-4 mm, elliptic-ovate, acute; stamens numerous, filaments branched, anthers bithecous. Female flowers: pedicels 3-5 mm long, accresent in fruit to 1.5 cm; calyx purpulish, sepals about 5 mm long, lanceolate, acute to acuminate; styles 3, red. Capsule 3-lobed, 1-2 x 0.8-1.5 cm, echinate or sometimes smooth. Seeds greyish, speckled brown, 7-15 x 4-8 mm, shiny; caruncle depressed-coniabout