Much-branched shrub 1·5–5 m. tall or tree 6–8 (10–12) m. high; branchlets ferruginous-ochraceous or greyish, cylindric, ± densely lenticellate, glabrescent; terminal and flowering branchlets subterete on the lower part, striate or grooved and angular, closely and densely leafy, ± densely pubescent on the upper part. Leaves alternate to subverticillate; petiole 0·4–1·7(2) cm. long, slender or broad and flattened towards the base, dorsally convex and ± appressed-pilose, flat or grooved and covered by ± patent hairs on the upper surface; lamina subconcolorous (yellow-green and covered with ± patent hairs mainly on the midrib and lateral nerves on both faces) or discolorous (olive-green to nearly black above, pale green to pale- or dark-grey-sericeous beneath, covered by very short and appressed whitish hairs), 2·5–12(17) × 1·5–4·5 cm., obovate or obovate-oblong, elliptic to oblong-elliptic or broadly elliptic, rounded or refuse rarely acute at the apex, with the margin not or only a little thickened, generally somewhat revolute, mainly towards the base, usually not undulate, cuneate or rounded at the base, papyraceous to subcoriaceous; midrib impressed or slightly raised above, very prominentb eneath; lateral nerves very slender (0·1–0·2 mm. thick), 1–2·5(4) mm. apart in the median part of the lamina, straight, at an angle of (55°) 70°–75° (80°) to the midrib, 1–2 forked at 1–3 mm. from the margin, impressed or very slightly raised and puberulous above, not at all prominent or slightly so beneath, covered, as also the midrib, by short appressed hairs like those of the lamina, denser on the young leaves, ± sparse and sometimes patent on the oldest ones. Panicle terminal, pyramidal, leafy at the base; axis and branches angular, greyish-puberulous as also the articulated pedicels. Calyx-segments 1·5 × 1–1·25 mm., ovate-triangular, silky outside. Petals 2–2·5 × 0·75–1·25 mm., oblong, obtuse, densely silky outside. Ovary compressed. Drupes at first red, finally black, shining, 6–7 × 8–9 mm., transversally reniform, compressed, wrinkled.
