Shrub or small tree (0·3) 2–10 (15) m. high, with bark black or dark grey, very rough; branches striate, purplish with pale lenticels at first, becoming white or yellowish-white, not usually exfoliating. Leaves petiolate; lamina 2·7–7·7 (9·2) × (0·9) 1·1–2·6 (3) cm., oblong or elliptic to oblanceolate or obovate, acute or shortly acuminate or mucronate to rounded at the apex, with margin densely glandular-serrulate, cuneate at the base, herbaceous, with primary lateral nerves ascending, interconnected by more widely spreading secondary laterals in turn linked by tertiary cross-veins, prominent above but less so or almost plane below; petiole 1–2·5 mm. long, rather slender, grooved above. Flowers solitary or 2–4 in fascicles, axillary or terminating short shoots, appearing before the leaves, scented; pedicels 1–2 cm. long in fruit. Sepals 3–4 (5) mm. long in flower, oblong, rounded, reflexed after flowering, becoming crimson, 7–9 (10) mm. long, narrowly oblong, flat and spreading in fruit. Petals white to creamy white, 4–5 mm. long, oblong-oblanceolate, narrowed at the base but not clawed. Stamens 10 (11), with anthers yellow, 1·5–2·5 mm. long, about 3/4–11/2 times as long as the filaments, straight, usually twisting spirally after dehiscence. Carpels 5, with styles completely united; stigma small, scarcely lobed. Drupelets curved-lenticular, compressed, 6–7 × 6–7 mm.