Shrub or small tree 1.5–8.4(–9.6) m tall with grey bark and spreading or drooping branches; young branchlets dark purplish, striate, with dense pale lenticels. Leaves coriaceous or subcoriaceous, narrowly to broadly elliptic, ovate-elliptic or obovate-elliptic, 2–15 cm long, 1–5 cm wide, ± acute at apex, the tip being spinous-apiculate, narrowly rounded to slightly subcordate at base, margin with gland tipped setae 1–5 mm long either restricted to base with rest of margin entire or setose all round; lateral veins ± 20 with very close reticulation of partly subparallel tertiary veins, prominent above; petiole 1–4 mm long; stipules half-navicular, 6 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, very soon deciduous. Flowers solitary or up to 10 in racemiform inflorescences; pedicels 1.3–2.5 cm long, jointed at base or 3–8.5 mm from base. Sepals elliptic-oblong to lanceolate, 10–13 mm long, 2–5 mm wide becoming red in fruit and up to 15 mm long, 7 mm wide. Petals bright yellow, obovate or elliptic, with distinct claw, 12–22 mm long, 8–15 mm wide. Anthers orange, 2.5–5 mm long, dehiscing by apical pores; filaments 2–5 mm long. Carpels 8–11; styles shortly free at apex. Drupelets 7–11 or as few as 1 or 2 by abortion, black, ellipsoid, 7–11 mm long, 5–7 mm wide.