Melicope zahlbruckneri, of the Rutaceae (rue) family, is a medium-sized tree 10 to 12 m (33 to 40 ft) tall. New growth is covered with yellowish brown, fine, short, curly hairs. The opposite, stalked, elliptically oblong leaves are 6 to 24 cm (2.4 to 9.5 in) long and 4 to 12.5 cm (1.6 to 4.9 in) wide, with well-defined lateral veins. Clusters of 2 to 5 flowers have main flowering stalks 15 to 20 cm (5.9 to 7.9 in) long and each flower has a stalk about 0.4 cm (0.2 in) long. Female flowers consist of four sepals about 1.5 mm (0.05 in) long, four petals about 3 mm (0.1 in) long, an eight-lobed nectary disk, eight reduced and nonfunctional stamens, and a hairless four-celled ovary. Male flowers consist of four sepals 3.5 mm (0.01 in) long, four petals about 6 mm (0.2 in) long, and eight functional stamens in two whorls equal to or longer than the petals. The fruit is squarish, 12 to 14 mm (0.4 to 0.5 in) long, and up to 30 mm (1.2 in) wide.