A shrub about 6 ft. high; branchlets slender, glabrous or slightly pubescent; internodes very short. Leaves elliptic, oblong-elliptic or narrowly obovate, rounded or very obtusely pointed, rounded or obtuse at the base, 1–3 1/2 in. long, 1/2–2 in. broad, papery, glabrous on both surfaces or puberulous below, more or less glaucous beneath; lateral nerves looped before reaching the margin, 5–10 on each side; tertiary nerves reticulate, faint; 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. Disk thin. Rudimentary ovary deeply bifid. Female flowers: Sepals triangular, subacute, glabrous. Petals large, suborbicular or obovate, shortly clawed, entire. Disk 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.
