Tree or shrub, c. 2-12 m. Twigs terete, straight, densely fulvous pubescent, sooner or later glabrescent; internodes less than 2 cm. Thorns in flowering specimens nearly always wanting, if present up to 2 mm. Leaves coriaceous, ovate to obovate, glabrous above, mostly very soon glabrescent beneath 1.7—2.5(-3.5) times as long as wide, (3-)5.5-7(-9) by (2-)2.5-3 cm; base acute to cuneate, top rounded to obtuse, sometimes mucronate; midrib above subprominent, nerves 5-9 pairs, subprominent on both sides; petiole 0.5-1.5 cm, hairy as the twigs. Raceme pubescent, terminal, with up to a dozen of sweet-scented flowers, the lower in the axils of small leaves. Bracts proper, if present, small, acute. Pedicels 1.5-6 cm. Buds ovoid, c. 1 cm long, often with umbonate top. Outer pair of sepals coriaceous, initially connate and completely enveloping the bud, then splitting more or less regularly, patent at anthesis, c. 10-15 by 10 mm, acuminate, glabrous; inner pair rather thin, flat, ovate, c. 11-13 by 5-6 mm, shortly acuminate. Petals subobovate, 18-30 by 10 mm, pubescent inside and outside towards the base, white to yellowish. Torus comparatively broad, short-conical, with a small posterior disk. Stamens c. 50-70, 2½-5 cm, filaments white, anthers c. 2.5 mm long. Gynophore 2½-7 cm, mostly thinly woolly in the basal half, glabrescent; ovary ellipsoid, acuminate, c. 3-4 mm long, glabrous, stigma dark-purple. In fruit the pedicel, the torus, and the gynophore somewhat incrassate. Fruit globular, 2½-4½ cm diam., pericarp c. 3 mm thick, soft, leathery, smooth, dull purplish brown, pulp spongy. Seeds 7-30, sometimes subangular, c. 9 by 6 by 5 mm.
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Shrub to tree to 12 m high; hairy with simple, straight hairs. Spines acicular, straight, slightly directed upwards, 2–2.5 mm long, absent on adult branches. Leaves elliptic to rhomboid, rounded to acute or mucronate, 3–10 cm long, 2–5 cm wide, often glossy above; base acute; sometimes midrib flat above, raised beneath; veins 4–7 pairs; petiole 5–7 mm long. Inflorescence 2–14 flowers, corymbose. Buds pointed; sepals 9–13 mm long, the outer pair pubescent, inner pair glabrous. Petals 1.5–2 cm long, pubescent at base, white to pale yellow. Stamens c. 50–85. Gynophore 2.5–6.5 cm long, pubescent at base; ovary ovoid, c. 3.5 mm long, glabrous, placentas 3–4. Fruit globose 2.5–5 cm wide, pericarp smooth. Seeds numerous; axis through attachment c. 6 mm long.
A vine, shrub or tree up to 12 m high. The leaves are simple and 3-10 cm long. They can have a few hairs along the midrib on the upper side. The leaves are shiny. The flowers are white or pale yellow. They are 3-4 cm across. They occur on stalks 2-5 cm long in clusters at the ends of branches. The fruit are 17-50 mm across. They can occur singly or in bunches. They are red, purple or black. There are several seeds. These are 6-8 mm long. The flesh is edible.
Chiefly coastal, but also in savannahs. Fl. fr. Jan.-Dec.The sweet-scented, white or pale lemon-yellow flowers are typically nocturnal. KOORDERS noted that the fruit pulp has a sourish stench, like that of rotten fish. In a living plant in Kebun Raya Indonesia (II-Q-17) I found the spongy, yellow pulp tasting and smelling as insipid mango. They might be eaten by bats which could add to their dispersal.
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It is a tropical plant. It grows naturally in lowland rainforest in Queensland, Australia. It needs well-drained soil and full sun. It grows at low elevations close to the beach.
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