Evergreen tree to 15 m tall with whorled horizontal branches when young, developing into a dense spreading crown. Trunk spiny when young. Leaves 7-21 cm long, ovate to elliptic with cordate base, margin entire to finely toothed. Flowers unisexual with solitary female flowers and dense clusters of male flowers. Fruits 5-8 cm across, pale green ripening red-brown, flattened-spherical with many distinct grooves becoming hard, dehiscing open when ripe.