A completely glabrous shrub up to 2 m tall; stem swollen at the base.Latex watery.Stipules up to 5 mm long, branched, glandular, becoming indurated.Petioles 10–20 cm long.Leaf blades 10–20 × 10–20 cm, peltate, 3–5-lobed, bright green above, paler beneath; the lobes broadly ovate to obovate, subacute, entire; the median lobe 8–12 × 6–11 cm, the laterals the same or slightly smaller.Inflorescences 20–25 cm long, with a peduncle 17–22 cm long, densely corymbiform to subcapitate; bracts up to 2 mm long, triangular, subacute, subentire.Male flowers: pedicels 1–2 mm long; calyx 1.5 mm long; calyx lobes 0.5 × 1 mm, transversely ovate, emarginate, entire; petals 5–6 × 2 mm, obovate-oblong, obtuse, scarlet; disk urceolate; stamens 6–8, 5 mm long, filaments connate at the base, anthers 2 mm long, orange.Female flowers: pedicels 1–2 mm long, stout; calyx lobes 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm, ovate to triangular-ovate, obtuse, entire; petals 6–7 mm long; disk glands free, flattened, ± truncate; ovary 2–3 × 2 mm, ellipsoid; styles 1.5 mm long, united at the base, stigmas capitate, 2-lobed.Fruit 1.4 × 1.3 cm when dried, ellipsoid-ovoid, 3-lobed, apically and basally truncate, septicidally and loculicidally dehiscent.Seeds 1.2 × 0.6 × 0.4 cm, ellipsoid, triangular-convex in section, brown, with a small fluted caruncle.