It is a large deciduous tree, usually has a buttressed trunk, and forms a wide canopy at the crown, from high branches droop downwards. Its bark is grey to pinkish green, smooth, thin, coming off in regular sheets. Leaves are usually sub-opposite, base is rounded or heart shaped.

The flowers are yellow and occur in simple or panicked spikes. Fruit is a fibrous-woody drupe, turns dark brown when mature also has five hard, projecting, veined wings.