Shrub or tree 4–13.5(–20) m. tall; bark grey, smooth; wood reddish; branchlets dark grey-brown to black, together with the leaf-rhachises grey to golden brown pubescent. Leaves often pinkish when young, 2–10 cm. long, mostly borne on short spur-shoots; petiole 0.3–1.5 cm. long, pubescent; petiolules 0–0.5 mm. long; leaflets in 2–16 pairs, obliquely oblong or elliptic, 1.5–6 cm. long, 3–9 mm. wide (terminal ones largest), obtuse and usually emarginate at the apex, ± truncate or asymmetrically obtuse or cuneate at the base, attached almost at the corner, entire, glabrous to sparsely pubescent mainly on the midrib; lateral nerves numerous, ± closely spaced, venation reticulate. Flowers white, cream or yellow, often appearing before the leaves in axillary clusters or crowded on the spur-shoots; pedicels 1–3 mm. long in male, 5–10 mm. long in female, articulated at the base, pubescent. Sepals 5, oblong, 2 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, pubescent. Stamens 4–5 with filaments 2–5 mm. long. Ovary rounded or somewhat trigonous; style up to 1 mm. long. Fruit orange to red, also described as chestnut or purple, ovoid or subglobose, 1.5–1.8 cm. long, 1.2 cm. wide, apiculate, glabrescent or glabrous. Seeds chestnut, ellipsoid, 1–1.7 cm. long, 6 mm. wide; aril striate.