Shrub 30–60 cm tall with pale brown branches with ± peeling bark; youngest parts with dense raised lenticels the same colour, sometimes papillose-puberulous (not in E Africa?). Leaves ± subcoriaceous, narrowly oblong to narrowly oblanceolate, 1.7–7.5(–12) cm long, 0.6–2 cm wide, acute to narrowly rounded at the apex, cuneate to narrowly rounded at the base, crenate-serrate at the margin, the teeth incurved or directed upwards; midrib, lateral veins and tertiary venation distinctly prominent on both surfaces; petiole short, 1–2 mm long, thick and channelled; stipules triangular, 2–3 mm long, striate, very soon deciduous. Flowers borne on leafless branches, (1–)2–4(–6) on very short spur-shoots ringed with close bract scars; buds globose; pedicels 1–1.5 cm long extending to 1.3–2 cm long in fruit, jointed at base or 3–4 mm from base. Sepals broadly elliptic or round, 5–8 mm long, 4–6 mm wide, becoming red and expanding to (9–)15–17 mm long, 8 mm wide in fruit. Petals yellow, obovate, 9–10(–15) mm long, 6(–14) mm wide. Anthers 2.5 mm long, opening by apical slits; filaments 2 mm long. Carpels 5; styles completely joined; stigma ± capitate. Drupelets green but presumably turning black, ± globose, (5–)8 mm diameter. Fig. 5 (p. 32).
