a shrub, about 6 ft. high; branchlets slender, glabrous, with very short internodes; leaves elliptic, oblong-elliptic or narrowly obovate, rounded or obtuse at the base, rounded or very obtusely pointed at the apex, 1–3 1/2 in. long, 1/2–2 in. broad, papery, glabrous on both surfaces, more or less glaucous beneath; lateral nerves looped before reaching the margin, 5–10 on each side; tertiary nerves reticulate; petiole 1–2 lin. long, wrinkled, glabrous or pubescent; stipules lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acute, 1–1 1/2 lin. long, sparingly pubescent; bracts pubescent; male flowers: sepals ovate, subacute, glabrous; petals suborbicular or obovate, entire or slightly toothed; disc thin; rudimentary ovary deeply bifid; female flowers: sepals triangular, subacute, glabrous; petals large, shortly clawed, entire; disc enclosing the ovary, toothed, glabrous outside; ovary ovoid, glabrous; styles very short, bilobed; fruits 2-celled, ellipsoid, 4 1/2 lin. long, 4 lin. broad, black when dry. null