Kokia drynarioides, a member of the Malvaceae (mallow; hibiscus) family, is a small tree from 4 to 10 m (13 to 35 ft) tall and with a trunk up to 20 cm (8 in) in diameter. The star-shaped leaves are large, 7 to 28 cm (2.8 to 11 in) long with 7- to 9-palmate lobes, and are pale, glossy green, often with distinct red veins. The large and showy flowers are borne singly in leaf axils. Three large bracts below the flower are persistent. The petals are red, 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) long and up to 8 cm (3 in) wide. The flowers are similar to Hibiscus flowers in that the stamens fuse to form a column around the style. The petals are somewhat twisted in the bud and the spiral pattern remains in the open flower. The fruit is a 5-lobed dry capsule 2.5 cm (1 in) long.