Shrub or small tree 1–7.5 m. tall, with glabrous branches. Leaf-blades elliptic, narrowly elliptic or broadly oblanceolate, 9–20 cm. long, 2.5–6.5 cm. wide, shortly acuminate at the apex, narrowly cuneate at the base, glabrous on both surfaces, but the stomata appearing as a dense close speckling beneath, thinly coriaceous, without nodules or sometimes (see note) covered with small nodules beneath; domatia absent; petiole 0.3–2 cm. long, glabrous; stipules ovate-triangular, 0.8–1.4 cm. long, obtuse at the apex, glabrous or pubescent at the base, soon deciduous. Flowers heterostylous, 5-merous, in capituliform 3-many-flowered inflorescences; peduncle 0–4 cm. long; secondary branches very short or up to 1.5 cm. long; pedicels obsolete; bracts ovate, elliptic or linear, 2.5–6 mm. long, up to 4 mm. wide but not forming an involucre, margined with hairs. Calyx-tube ovoid, 0.7 mm. long; limb funnel-shaped, tube glabrous, 2–2.5 mm. long; lobes triangular-ovate, 1–1.5 mm. long, hairy on the margins. Corolla green or cream; tube 4–5.5 mm. long, glabrous; lobes oblong-elliptic, 2.5–3 mm. long, 1.2 mm. wide, thickened and hooded at the apex, sparsely puberulous outside at the apex. Stamens with filaments 1.2 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 0.7 mm. long in long-styled flowers. Style 1.7 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 5 mm. long in long-styled flowers; stigma-lobes 0.5–2 mm. long. Drupes red, with 2 pyrenes, ellipsoid, 7–9 mm. long, 5 mm. wide, glabrous; pyrenes semi-ellipsoid, 7–7.5 mm. long, 3.8 mm. wide, 1.8 mm. thick, the dorsal face strongly 6-ribbed (including margins), ventral face flat. Seeds purple-red, 6.2 mm. long, 3.2 mm. wide, 1.5 mm. thick, ventral face plane, dorsal face strongly 6-ribbed; albumen ruminate on ventral surface, mostly or only in 2 ± median fissures (forming a U-shaped groove) and on the dorsal grooves.
