Tree to 9 m high, soft-wooded. Leaves: petiole 5–15 mm long, slender, with appressed hairs; lamina elliptic to slightly oblanceolate, (30–) 50–80 (–100) mm long, (10–) 20–35 (–40) mm wide (juvenile foliage larger), with base acute and attenuate onto petiole, margin irregularly very shallowly crenate, ciliolate, apex finely acute-acuminate; yellow-green or dark green above, light green below, with appressed hairs on midrib beneath. Inflorescence a spike, terminal on side branches, 2–4 cm long, pilose; peduncle 10–20 mm long; bracts ovate, 2.5–3 mm long, with margin broadly scarious in lower part, acute to aristate; bracteoles 3.5–5 mm long, clearly aristate, slightly recurved, with margins similar to bracts. Tepals 4, lanceolate, brownish red, very acute, 7–9 mm long, 1.8–2.1 mm wide, with outer 2 very slightly longer; margins glabrous. Stamens 4; filaments 0.7–1.5 mm long; pseudostaminodes rectangular, 1 mm long, 0.6–0.8 mm high, with apex covered by fimbriate appendage 0.2–0.4 mm long; style 2–2.5 mm long. Fruit an indehiscent utricle, cylindrical, 2–2.5 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide. Seed ellipsoid, 2–2.4 mm long, 1.1–1.6 mm wide, light chestnut-brown, smooth with round cells.
The few natural occurrences on Norfolk Island suggest that this species favours streamside and damp forest situations. Can grow in the shade of Norfolk Palm (Rhopalostylis baueri), occasionally on ridges but most commonly in gullies on valley floors or lower valley sides (Director of National Parks 2010: 77).
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