Shrub or small tree, 1.5–9 m. high; bark smooth, grey-brown. Branches terete, longitudinally ribbed and ± densely brownish-pubescent when young, eventually ± glabrous. Leaves petiolate; lamina (6) 8.5–15 (19) x 3–7 cm., obovate to oblanceolate, abruptly acuminate at the apex, cuneate at the base, ± bluntly serrate, sometimes almost entire near the base, coriaceous, glabrous above, the main veins pubescent below, with venation prominent on both surfaces and sessile brown glands on the lower one; petiole 5–20 (30) mm. long, channelled above, pubescent; stipules c. 6–8 mm. long, subulate, pubescent, soon caducous. Inflorescence compound, terminal, narrowly paniculate to triangular, with few-flowered cymose clusters at the ends of short lateral branches; peduncle stout, flattened, vertically ribbed, shortly brown-pilose. Bracts triangular to lanceolate, shortly brown-pilose, persistent. Flower-buds ovoid or cylindric, pendulous. Flowers ± pendulous, shortly pedicellate; pedicels shortly pilose. Sepals c. 2 mm. long, ovate-elliptic, obtuse, not ribbed, pubescent or shortly pilose. Petals 3–4 mm. long, 11/2–2 times as long as the sepals, yellow, thick, oblong, obtuse, recurved above, slightly unequal, sparsely pubescent or almost glabrous. Stamentube with free margin produced to form narrow lobes behind at least some of the anthers in each flower, glabrous; anthers ± sessile, ovoid, pubescent or glabrous, with an ovate-obtuse, decurrent connective-appendage, and entire, bifid or paired thecal appendages. Ovary ± globose, densely pilose; style 11/2–2 times as long as the ovary. Capsule 10–13 mm. long, dark red-brown, ± erect, 3-lobed, pubescent, ± smooth, coriaceous, several-seeded. Seeds c. 4–5 mm. long.