Monoecious evergreen tree, 6–21 m. tall with heavy crown; bark grey or pale brown, smooth; slash pale orange. Foliage with petioles etc. and base of midribs crimson when young; leaf-rhachis 0–10 cm. long, including 0–5 cm. long petiole; petiolules 0–1 cm. long; leaflets in 1–3 pairs (sometimes reduced to 1 leaflet), the lowest pair not noticeably reduced, the upper pair opposite, drying greyish green above and paler green beneath, elliptic, 6.5–27 cm. long, 2–10 cm. wide, rounded to acuminate at the apex, cuneate at the base, entire, glabrous; secondary nerves in 12–20 pairs, ± indistinct. Inflorescence said to be ± unpleasantly scented, often appearing terminal and accompanying a new flush of leaves, paniculate, 5–20 cm. long, 5–15 cm. wide, the branches thyrsoid with both clusters and single flowers; axes at first golden pubescent, elongating in fruit; pedicels 0–3 mm. long, enlarging to 7 mm. in fruit. Flower greenish yellow; sepals 5, the outer 2 shorter than the inner, ovate or round, 2–3.5 mm. long, 1.5–3 mm. wide, glabrous apart from the white margin; petals 5 (rarely absent), ovate, 2–3 mm. long and wide, clawed, scale half as long as the limb, fringed with hairs; disk pentagonal, 3.6 mm. in diameter, lobed. Stamens 5–7, hairy at base, glabrous for most of length. Ovary 2(–3)-lobed; style entire; ovary rudiment in male flowers a cushion of hairs. Mericarps crimson, 2(–3), developed ones ellipsoid, 1–1.8 cm. long, 0.8–1.5 cm. wide, but 1–2 abortive at base. Seeds black, ± 1.2 cm. long, 9 mm. wide. Fig. 17.