Shrub or small tree 2–6(–7.5) m. tall, with glabrous or pubescent stems, often with quite dense ferruginous hairs when young. Leaf-blades narrowly elliptic to elliptic or oblong-elliptic, (3–)6–20 cm. long, (1–)2–7.3 cm. wide, acute to acuminate at the apex, cuneate at the base, glabrous above but usually with ferruginous hairs on the main and lateral nerves beneath, less often ± glabrous, thin, usually drying brownish, ± bullate above in life; lateral nerves usually quite distinctly zigzag and tertiary venation usually ± conspicuous; nodules absent, domatia usually present and often on lateral nerves; petiole 1–2.5 cm. long, glabrous or pubescent; stipules obovate, 1–2 cm. long, bilobed at the apex, the lobes 2–6 mm. long, glabrous or pubescent, particularly at the base, deciduous. Flowers heterostylous, 4–5-merous, slightly scented, in much-branched panicles 5–15 cm. long; peduncles 3–10 cm. long, glabrescent or pubescent; secondary branches 0.7–2.5 cm. long, mostly ferruginous pubescent; pedicels obsolete or up to 2.5 mm. long, pubescent; main bracts ± 5 mm. long, clasping the branches, hairy, others small. Calyx-tube ± hemispherical, 1–2 mm. long, glabrous or pubescent; limb cupuliform, 2–3 mm. long, glabrous or pubescent; lobes irregularly triangular, 0.5–1 mm. long, pubescent at least on the margins. Corolla white or cream; tube 4.5–7 mm. long, glabrous or pubescent outside; lobes oblong, 3–6 mm. long, 1.8 mm. wide, thickened and horned at the apex, densely finely papillate inside, glabrous outside, rugulose. Stamens with filaments 3–3.5 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 0.5 mm. long in long-styled flowers. Style 3.5–5 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 6–7 mm. long in long-styled flowers; stigma-lobes 0.5–1 mm. long. Drupes red, slightly but distinctly grooved when dry, with 2 pyrenes, ellipsoid or globose, 5–7 mm. long, 4–5.5 mm. wide, conspicuously crowned by the funnel-shaped calyx remains, 2–2.5 mm. long; pyrenes semi-elliptic or hemispherical, ± 5.5 mm. long, ± 4.5 mm. wide, 2.2 mm. thick, with dorsal face 5-grooved. Seeds similar, 4 mm. long and wide, 2 mm. thick, ventral face plane, dorsal face 5-grooved; albumen sulcate.