Shrub or small tree (1.5–)2.5–12 m. tall, usually much branched and occasionally somewhat climbing; bark thin, pale brown or grey, smooth; young branchlets dark, at first greyish pubescent, later glabrous, lenticellate. Leaf-blades obovate or oblong to oblanceolate, 2–20(–24) cm. long, 1.5–8.2 (–8.7) cm. wide, rounded, apiculate or shortly acuminate at the apex, cordate at the base, thin or sometimes eventually somewhat coriaceous, bluish-green, sometimes glaucous beneath, ± densely softly pubescent on both surfaces or practically glabrous save for ciliate margins; venation reticulate and prominent on both surfaces; petioles 2–3(–5) mm. long, often blackish, pubescent; shoot-buds enveloped in convex imbricate rugulose dark brown coriaceous scales, 4–7(–ll) mm. long, 4(–8) mm. wide, glabrous save for ciliate margins. Flowers solitary, terminal or extra-axillary, appearing with or just before the young leaves, mostly on the older branches; pedicels2–5.7(–7.3) cm. long, slender, pubescent; bracteole ovate, 5–9 mm. long, 7 mm. wide, narrowed at apex, clasping at the base, glabrous above, adpressed pubescent beneath. Sepals green or red with green veins, lanceolate or narrowly triangular, 1–2 cm. long, 3–5.5 mm. wide, acute, recurved, margins undulate, densely silky, pubescent outside, almost glabrous inside. Petals whitish or yellowish, often streaked with green, speckled, margined or flushed with red or apricot, the inner sometimes entirely red; outer oblance-olate-spathulate, or linear, (3–)3.7–6.5 cm. long, 0.5–1.8(–2.6) cm. wide, acute or acuminate, recurved, margins undulate, densely pubescent outside, less so inside; inner rounded-sagittate, triangular or rhomboid, 0.7–0.9(–1.6) cm. long, 1.2–1.6 cm. wide, with a prominent claw 0.7–0.9(–1.3) cm. long, erect, ± connivent, pilose towards the apex, pubescent towards the base. Stamens white, oblong-cuneiform, ± 1 mm. long. Ovary globose or conic, ± 1 mm. long, glabrous save for stigmas. Fruiting pedicel 6–8 cm. long; fruit green and white mottled, obovoid, round or ellipsoid, (4–)5–7.5 cm. long, (3.2–)4–4.5 cm. wide, glabrous, but finely rugose. Seeds chestnut, ellipsoid or irregularly ellipsoid, often wedge-like in section, 1.3–2.6 cm. long, 1–1.8 cm. wide, 0.9–1.1 cm. thick.