Tree 13–30 m high; canopy long and narrow; bark fissured, almost tessellate. Older branches grey, newer branches white, glabrescent. Seedling leaves variably toothed in upper half, angular obovate to rhombic. Adult leaves angular-obovate to rhombic, 70–100 mm long, 35–70 mm wide, adaxial surface glossy green with raised yellow venation, abaxial surface paler, margin prominently toothed in distal two thirds, sinuate, apex rounded with c. 10 mm long drip tip; petiole 15–25 mm long. Inflorescences multibranched corymbs of white bisexual flowers, subtended by a leaf and a ring of caduceus protective bracts at the base of a stout rachis 25–35 mm long; peduncles to 10 mm long; pedicels c. 5 mm long. Sepals 1–2 mm long, cohering briefly then spreading, yellow. Petals 5–6 mm long, linear-obovate, creamy white, aromatic. Stamens free; filaments longer than anthers, tapering from flared base to narrow apex, white; anthers 2–3 mm long, apices rounded to acute, yellow, dehiscing yellow pollen through apical slits. Pistil bilocular, occasionally trilocular, all parts longitudinally ridged. Fruit unequally bilocular, pear-shaped, 5–10 mm long (plus 2 mm stalk), 5–8 mm diam., glossy orange-yellow outer, red-orange inner, thin-valved, mesocarp pithy, persisting. Seeds 4–5 mm long, usually one per chamber or fruit, rarely more, angular.
Commonly cultivated across temperate Australia, from Perth to Sydney, for the attractive, massed, aromatic flowers in summer, followed by equally attractive, persisting branched corymbs of glossy orange fruit in winter.
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