Shrub or small tree, 0.8–5 m tall, often multi-stemmed and sometimes with a spreading crown; stems slender, glabrous, with wine-red bark, smooth when young but soon becoming powdery.Leaves 6.2–11(15.5) × 2.2–4.5 cm, narrowly to broadly elliptic, acute to shortly acuminate at the apex, cuneate or less often rounded at the base, entirely glabrous or sometimes with a few scattered hairs; lateral nerves in 5–6 main pairs; tertiary nerves moderately finely reticulate, often drying blue-black; petiole 2–5 mm long, often drying blackish; stipules on young stems with base c. 2 mm long and appendage c. 5 mm long; older stipules congested with dingy-coloured hairs inside.Inflorescences often appear before the leaves are fully expanded, sparsely pubescent to pubescent, 5–13-flowered; main peduncle up to 2.5 mm long; pedicels about 2 mm long, save those of central flower of inflorescence which may be longer.Calyx tube c. 1 mm long, pubescent or glabrous; lobes 1.2–1.8 mm long, narrowly oblong, usually glabrous.Corolla obtuse to slightly acuminate in bud; greenish-cream, glabrous; tube c. 4 mm long; lobes 2.5–3.5 mm long, acuminate.Style 5–6 mm long; pollen presenter yellow, 1.2 mm long, cylindrical.Fruits green to brownish, 1.8–2 cm diameter, subglobose; pyrenes 4–5, each c. 20 mm long.