Gyrocarpus americanus subsp. africanus is a small to medium-sized, single-stemmed, deciduous tree, about 9–15 m tall. The stem is smooth, with grey to whitish bark. The leaves are alternate or scattered, simple, almost circular in general outline, about 100 × 100 mm, usually 3-lobed, with 3 markedly yellowish veins from the base, soft-textured, dark green above and pale greyish below; margin entire, apex of the lobes broadly tapering; base tapering; petiole long and slender, up to 80 mm long.

Small, yellow to yellowish green, unpleasantly scented flowers appear in dense heads or racemes in late summer to autumn (from March to May). The flower heads are made of up of many male flowers, with few bisexual, or female flowers.

Fruit is a hard, woody nut, pale brown with marked veining that is only visible when the epidermis has decayed, and bearing 2, long, thin, paddle-like wings, about 50–80 mm, in winter to spring (July to September).