[1] They are trees or shrubs, reaching a size of 2–25 m in height, with a crown up to 20 m in diameter, bark opaque, light brown to grey, completely glabrous.

Leaflets broad to narrowly elliptical to broadly ovate or obovate-elliptical, the lateral ones more or less obliquely asymmetrical, (3–) 8–13 (–18) cm long and 2–9 cm wide, apex long acuminate to rounded and abruptly acute, base cuneate to obtuse (or almost rounded) and gradual to abruptly attenuated towards the petiolules, glaucous or minutely papillose on the underside; petiolules very distinct, (4–) 6–10 mm long, petioles 5–15 cm long.

Infructescence of the leafy branches 6–18 cm long and 5–10 mm wide, the pedicel scars well spaced.

[3] Crataeva tapia was described by Carl Linnaeus and published in Species Plantarum 1: 444.

When growing in dry environments, it is very similar to C. palmeri with which it is apparently sympatric and possibly hybrid, but it is differentiated by the leaves or inflorescence axes being glabrous, the flowers white, and the leaflets pediculate.