Sanicula mariversa, a member of the parsley family (Apiaceae) is an upright herb, 40 to 70 cm (16 to 28 in) tall which produces a single branched stem from a sturdy base (caudex) growing just beneath the surface of the soil. There are many heart- to kidney-shaped, leathery, three- to five-lobed leaves, 13 to 23 cm (5 to 9 in) wide, growing from the base of the plant. Leaves on the stem become smaller and more deeply lobed the closer they are to the tip of the stem. Flowers are arranged in 1 to 4 more or less flat-topped clusters; each cluster comprises 10 to 20 flowers and is located at the end of the stem or in the leaf axils. Each flower cluster has 8 to 10 bracts beneath it and comprises both male and bisexual flowers. There are five nearly circular, fused, toothed. yellow petals. each 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. The egg-shaped fruit is about 4 to 6 mm (0.2 in) long by about 3 to 4 mm (0.1 in) wide, covered with hooked prickles, and separates into two single-seeded parts. The larger size of the plant and basal leaves, the color of the flower petals, and the hooked prickles on the fruit separate this species from others of the genus in Hawaii.