Heritiera longipetiolata, a member of the Malvaceae (hibiscus) family, is a stout, short tree; the trunk often twisted, rising from crevices in dissected limestone plateaus and slopes. Leaves ovate or ovate-oblong, sometimes elliptic, acuminate, obtuse or rounded at base; the petiole 4 to 8 cm (1.6 to 3.1 in) long, rather abruptly enlarged at the base of the blade; blades 15 to 30 cm (6 to 11.8 in) long, 8 to 15 cm (3.1 to 6 in) wide; upper surface dark green, subglossy, the midrib and main lateral veins paler; lower surface silvery-tawny, minutely scaly-indumented (with trichomes, fine hairs); margins entire, somewhat undulate-crisped; flowers in axillary open panicles shorter than the leaves; fruit keeled, keel about 5 mm (0.2 in) high; fruit wall about 6 to 7 mm (0.24 to 0.28 in) thick.