A dense shrub; branches longitudinally sulcate, with a greyish-brown bark, glabrescent; young branchlets slender, rusty-puberulous. Leaves obovate or broadly elliptic, rounded or very shortly and obtusely pointed, slightly cuneate at the base, 1 1/4–2 1/2 in. long, 3/4–1 1/2 in. broad, thinly chartaceous, slightly pubescent on the upper surface, a little more densely so below; lateral nerves 8–11 on each side, slender, often a little branched towards but finally reaching the margin and forming a faint marginal nerve; tertiary nerves parallel, distinct below; veins rather close but not prominent below; petiole rather stout, wrinkled, 2 lin. long, shortly pubescent or tomentellous; stipules linear-lanceolate, acute, 2–2 1/2 lin. long, pubescent. Flowers diœcious. Male bracts ovate, subacute, strongly keeled on the back, keel pubescent. Sepals lanceolate, obtuse, 1 lin. long, slightly pubescent on the outside towards the base. Petals very broadly obovate or rhomboid, subentire. Disk fleshy, glabrous. Rudimentary ovary short and columnar, subentire, glabrous. Female flowers: Sepals ovate, 1 lin. long, 1/2 lin. broad, slightly coriaceous, sparingly puberulous outside. Petals rhomboid, keeled on the back, nearly as large as the sepals. Disk thin, toothed, glabrous outside. Ovary oblong-ellipsoid, contracted at the base, glabrous. Fruits 2-celled, ellipsoid-globose, about 3 lin. in diam., black and shining when dry.
