Shrub 1.5–3 m or tree to 8 m; stems green and flattened in life, purplish-grey and ridged on drying, rather sparsely lenticellate. Leaves fairly thin to subcoriaceous, oblanceolate to elliptic, 6.5–14(–17) cm long, 1.7–4(–5) cm wide, acuminate to an acute apex, cuneate at the base, rather distantly to rather closely serrulate; midrib yellow-brown in life and drying yellowish beneath; lateral veins ± 25, together with many fainter intermediaries and reticulate tertiary venation ± prominent on both surfaces; apical leaf pair on short lateral shoots often ± sub-opposite; petiole 5–7 mm long; stipules narrowly triangular, 3.5 mm long, deciduous. Flowers 10–25 in small condensed, axillary or pseudoterminal inflorescences 2 cm long which are sometimes closely aggregated; bracts chestnut, oblong, 3 mm long, closely striate; pedicels 0–12 mm long, jointed 1–2 mm from the base; buds at first globose, later oblong. Sepals 4–5, oblong, 7.5–10 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, obtuse, becoming red in fruit, 9–10 mm long, 4 mm wide. Petals absent, not found even in bud. Stamens ± 13; anthers 3.5 mm long dehiscing by apical pores; filaments ± 1 mm long. Carpels 4–5; style 5-branched at apex. Drupelets 3–5, black, subglobose, compressed, 7–9 mm long, 5–6 mm wide, 4 mm thick.