A medium sized tree, 4-8 m tall. Branches green, peltate hairy, glabrescent. Leaves ovate, short acuminate, entire, 5-15 cm long, 3-10 cm broad, peltate hairy to almost completely glabrous, young parts green; stipules linear-lanceolate, somewhat ensiform, 5-8 mm long, c. 2 mm broad, peltate hairy, caducous; petiole 5-10 cm long, sparsely peltate hairy, glabrescent. Flowers axillary, solitary; pedicel jointed at base, 3 mm across, 1-5 cm long, accrescent in fruit, peltate hairy, erect; bracteoles 2, bracteate joints present, subulate to linear-lanceolate, opposite, 2 mm broad. Epicalyx segments 3, spirally arranged, up to 0.5-2 cm long, 2-4 mm broad, lanceolate, peltate hairy, caducous. Calyx cupular, 1-1.5 cm long, 1.5-2 cm across, entire or minutely 5 toothed; peltate hairy without, dense, simple, appressed hairy within, coriaceous, persistent. Corolla pale yellow with a crimson centre, turning reddish in the evening, 3-6 cm across; petals 6-7 cm long, c.5 cm broad, peltate hairy outside on the covering margin, claw fleshcy, iliate. Staminal column 1 cm long, glabrous. Young fruits and buds when cut exude yellow gum. Fruit ± globose, 2-3 cm across, often with a mucro above, indehiscent, easily pressed by fingure, smooth or somewhat 5-angular, peltate hairy, more so above, glabrescent, 5-celled, each cell 2-4 seeded. Seeds obovoid, angular, c. 1 cm long, 6 mm broad, rounded above, acute below, covered by dense soft hairs, long and somewhat loose hairy at base.

Lectotype: Herb. Herm. Vol. V. fol. 208. t. 258 (BM!).

Distribution: Common in tropical countries.

In Pakistan it is confined to coastal region particularly in Karachi, where it is cultivated along road side as a shade tree.