Shrub or tree to 7 (–10) m high. Bark persistent, tessellated and dark at base of large trees; otherwise smooth, dappled white and grey. Primary branches ascending, with secondary and tertiary branches on various planes. Branchlets not noticeably ridged near growing point. Stipules triangular or ovate, (1.5–) 3–6 mm long. Juvenile stem indumentum dense, with rusty crisped hairs. Adult stem indumentum dense, with abundant pale brown to creamy-white crisped hairs c. 0.1 mm high, and infrequent straight or curved patent hairs to 0.3 mm high. Adult leaves 2-ranked; lamina ovate to elliptic, (5–) 5.6–15.5 (–16) cm long, (3–) 3.2–8.0 cm wide (L/B ratio 1.4–2.4), base obtuse to cuneate, symmetrical, apex obtuse, acute or retuse; upper leaf surface dull green, with persisting flexuose hairs to 0.4 mm long, glabrescent; lower leaf surface white or yellowish, with abundant tiny white crisped hairs in the areoles, obscuring the lamina, and brown flexuose to straight hairs to 0.4 mm long along the veins and veinlets; midrib and secondary veins sparsely to densely hairy, brown; newly expanding leaves dark brown; petiole (0.5–) 0.7–2.1 (–3) cm long, with hairs to 0.4 mm long. Cymes occurring in up to 5 leaf axils per branchlet, each 2–6 (–10) cm long, 2–3 cm wide, with 20 to > 50 flowers, none truly terminal (terminal only by abortion of the terminal vegetative shoot). Pedicels 2.5–3.5 mm long at anthesis. Bracts and bracteoles broadly ovate, 0.7–1 × 0.4–0.8 mm. Flowers 5.5–7.0 mm across, covered in greyish to rusty crisped hairs; sepals deltate, 1.7–2.3 mm long, 1.7–2.0 mm wide at base, spreading or recurved, glabrous internally; petals white, 1.5–1.8 (–2.2) mm long, ± clawed; filaments 1.2–1.6 mm long; anthers 0.35–0.5 mm long, tail 0.1–0.15 mm long. Disc circular to pentagonal, grey, not papillose, surface undulating or flat, radial furrows absent; glabrous or with a few hairs at the base of the style. Style 2-fid (rarely 3-fid), (0.5–) 1.1–1.7 mm long after elongation. Fruiting pedicels 2.5–5.5 mm long, c. 0.8 mm diam. at midpoint. Fruits black at maturity, somewhat glossy, glabrous, globose, 2 (3)-locular, (8–) 9.5–11 (–12) mm long, 10–12 mm diam.; calyx scar close to pedicel end; powdery mesocarp abundant. Endocarpids 7–8.5 mm long (excluding apiculum), 6.5–9 mm wide, radius 5–6 mm, apiculum 0.5–1 mm long, terminal or subterminal. Aril orange to reddish-brown; seeds grey, (5–) 5.4–6.3 (–8) mm long.
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