An erect, single-stemmed or much-branched shrubby or treelike somewhat glaucous herb upto 5 m, rarely taller. Stems hollow, becoming woody at the base. Young shoots often pruinose. Petioles 5-20 cm long; petiolar glands variously-shaped. Leaf-blades commonly 7-9-lobed, the median lobe usually 10-20 cm long and 2-5 cm wide, sometimes larger, the lateral lobes progressively smaller; lobes lanceolate, acutely acuminate, coarsely glandular-serrate or - biserrate, lateral nerves c. 10-20 pairs, running to the margins, dark green above, paler beneath. Stipular sheath ovate, c. 1-2 cm long, leaving a circular scar when fallen. Inflorescence 10-25 cm long; bracts c. 1 cm long, the bracteoles smaller. Male flowers; pedicels c. 1 cm long; calyx-lobes elliptic-ovate, 6-8 x 3-4 mm, acute, yellowish-green; stamens 7 mm long, anthers 0.5 mm. long, pale yellow. Female flowers: pedicels 3-5 mm. long, extending to 2 cm or more in fruit; sepals lanceolate, 5 mm long, acuminate, purplish; ovary trilobate-subglobose, 2 x 2 mm; styles 3-7 mm long. Fruit trilobate, 1-1.8 x 1-1.5 cm, smooth or sparingly to densely covered with narrowly cylindric bristle-tipped fleshy processes 3-5 mm long. Seeds 7-12 x 5-8 x 4-6 mm, shiny, greyish, silvery or beige generally streaked and flecked with brown; caruncle depressed-conic, 1-2 x 2-3 mm.