This species is known by many common names, including fibrewood, small-leaved nettle, mulberry-leaved stinging tree, and gympie.

A medium to large-sized tree up to 30 m (98 ft) tall, its stem diameter is up to 75 cm (30 in).

[7] Male and female flowers sometimes occur on separate trees, appearing yellowish green from November to June on small panicles from the leaf axils.

The fruit are unevenly shaped nuts or achenes, resembling a mass of white grubs; they mature from January to March.

The fruit would be edible for humans if not for the stinging hairs; they are eaten by many rainforest birds, including the regent bowerbird and the Torresian crow.