a shrub, 3–7 ft. high, or on mountain sides 9–12 in. only, pubescent, and often ferruginous, but sometimes glabrescent; branches terete or subterete, alternate or subopposite, leafy, spreading at an angle of 40–60°; leaves alternate or subopposite, entire, oval, obtuse, and often subapiculate at the apex, somewhat wedge-shaped, rounded, or rarely cordate at the base, coriaceous, 1–3 in. long, 1/2–1 1/2 in. broad; petiole 1/12– 1/4 in. long; flowers diœcious, scented, white. Male cymes racemose, axillary, pubescent, 3–9-flowered, usually drooping, 1/2–1 1/2 in. long; pedicels 1/10– 1/2 in. long, the lower ones the longer; bracts lanceolate, deciduous; calyx hemispherical, deeply 5–7-cleft, glabrous within, 1/20– 1/10 in. long; lobes deltoid, rounded, ovate or lanceolate; corolla urceolate, 1/6– 1/5 in. long, shortly 5–7-toothed; stamens 20–30, more or less united at the base in pairs or otherwise, hairy; ovary more or less abortive; styles 2, slender. Female cymes 3–5-flowered, axillary, pubescent or tomentose, 1/10– 1/4 in. long, usually drooping; pedicels short; bracts deciduous; calyx shorter than the corolla, 5–7-fid; lobes ovate or deltoid; corolla ellipsoid, 1/8 in. long, shortly 5–7-toothed; staminodes 0; ovary ovoid-conical, 4-celled, hairy, 1/10 in. long; ovules solitary; styles 2, short, glabrous above, level with the corolla-mouth; stigmas emarginate; fruit usually solitary, occasionally 2 or 3 together, tomentose, usually ferruginous, globular, 1/5– 1/2 in. in diameter, edible, but not pleasant to the palate, 1-celled, 1-seeded; seed globular; albumen somewhat ruminated. null