Tall deciduous tree to 35 m, sometimes taller with straight trunk and clearly tiered whorls of branches. Leaves deeply heart-shaped, 16-30 cm long, clustered towards the end of branches. Flowers unisexual, c. 0.6 cm across, in much-branched clusters of 20-40 cm long, pale greenish yellow with dull red or purple-brown hairs. Fruits 4-6.5 cm long, in clusters of 3-5, spreading, globose to ellipsoid or obovoid with blunt or rounded tip, ripening bright red, thickly leathery, dehiscing to expose purple-black ellipsoid seeds.