A large shrub, 12–15 ft. high; branchlets terete, glabrous. Leaves elliptic or obovate-elliptic, abruptly acuminate, cuneate at the base, 3–8 in. long, 1 1/2–3 1/2 in. broad, papery or very thinly coriaceous, glabrous on both surfaces; lateral nerves 4–5 on each side, looped and branched towards the margin, slightly impressed on the upper surface, prominent on the lower; tertiary nerves and veins forming a very lax network; petiole slender, 3/4–1 1/2 in. long, glabrous; stipules small, triangular, very soon falling off. Male racemes in axillary clusters, 3–6 in each cluster, up to 3 in. long; axis slender, somewhat flattened, very minutely puberulous; bracts very minute, puberulous; pedicels slender, up to 1 1/2 lin. long, glabrous. Calyx 5-partite; lobes ovate-rounded, minutely ciliolate in the upper half, otherwise glabrous. Stamens 5; filaments glabrous. Disk-glands fleshy, pilose. Rudimentary ovary oblong, pilose. Female racemes solitary or subsolitary, somewhat shorter than the males; pedicels shorter and stouter than in the male. Calyx-lobes broadly ovate, rounded at the apex, sparingly puberulous on the back. Disk annular, short, puberulous in the upper part. Ovary 3-celled, ovoid, densely white-tomentose. Styles 3, linear, undivided, glabrous. Fruits (immature) ellipsoid, about 3 lin. long, 1 1/2 lin. in diam., sparingly adpressed-pubescent. Pedicels in the fruiting stage reflexed, minutely puberulous.
