Shrub to 1.5 m high, dull green to silvery-white, pubescent with minute stellate hairs; prickles to 10 mm long, straight, scattered on most parts of plant. Leaves elliptic, mostly 10–12 cm long, 8–10 cm wide, lobed, discolorous, upper surface sparsely pubescent except near margins where densely covered with persistent silvery stellate hairs, lower surface densely pubescent; lobes 7–11, apex rounded or obtuse, margins sinuate-crenate; petiole 1.5–2.5 cm long. Inflorescences simple, 2–10-flowered; peduncle absent. Upper flowers male; lower flowers bisexual, on pedicels 20–25 mm long; calyx 9–10 mm long, lobes narrow-triangular to oblong, 5–10 mm long, unequal; corolla rotate, 30–40 mm diam., stellate-pubescent, white or pale mauve, lobes acute-tipped; anthers 6–7 mm long. Berry globose, 30–40 mm diam., yellowish; seeds 2–2.5 mm long, light brown. Flowers mostly spring–autumn.
Naturalised Tas. Native to north-east Africa. Several collections from near Casterton, Colac, Melbourne, San Remo and Warragul, but not collected since 1911; grown as an ornamental.
