Shrub or tree, 2–20 (30) m. high, sometimes scrambling. Branches orange-red to purple-brown, smooth, spreading-pubescent at first, eventually glabrous; lenticels usually numerous; bark often exfoliating. Leaves petiolate; lamina 5.5–11.5 x 2–4.6 cm., oblong to elliptic or ovate-elliptic, acute or usually acuminate at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base, membranous, bluish-green or greyish and glabrous (except along the midrib) above, green to orange-brown (not glaucous) and ± densely sericeous- or appressed-pubescent below, with densely reticulate venation usually more prominent below than above; petiole 1.5–6 mm. long, blackish, appressed-pubescent. Flowers solitary (very rarely 2–3), fragrant; pedicels absent or up to 6 mm. long, appressed-rusty-pubescent; bracteoles 2–5, oblong to orbicular. Sepals 2–3.5 mm. long, ovate to semi-orbicular, obtuse or apiculate to rounded, appressed-pubescent outside, glabrous and magenta within. Petals white or pale yellow outside, magenta within, the outer ones 2–5 x 0.3–0.4 cm., linear, curved in section above, broadened and concave at the base, sericeous-pubescent outside, puberulous or glabrous within; the inner ones somewhat shorter and narrower, otherwise similar. Stamens 1.5–2 mm. long, linear or cuneate; connective-prolongation ± obliquely capitate, papillose. Carpels 5–10, 3.5–4.5 mm. long; ovary ovoid-cylindric, appressed-pilose; style c. 1.5–2 times as long as the ovary, cylindric, with a terminal tuft of hairs. Fruit on a pedicel 4–7 mm. long; fruiting carpels 3–9, 1–4.8 x 0.8–1.1 cm., 1–8-seeded, cylindric or obovoid, curved, not apiculate, glabrescent, finely rugose, scarcely vertically ridged, scarlet outside, pink within, on stipes 4–10 mm. long. Seeds c. 1 cm. long, ellipsoid, reddish-brown, oblique, uniseriate; aril inconspicuous.
