Shrubs 1–5 m. tall with dark grey bark; young branches sparsely pubescent or villous but soon glabrous.. Leaves often on very short shoots, almost round, obovate or oblong, 0.8–3 cm. long, 0.4–2.5 cm. wide, rounded to ± acute at the apex, narrowed at base into the petiole, margin crenate-undulate to irregularly dentate, often densely velvety when young, later both sides pubescent-tomentose, white beneath but with yellow brown hairs on the venation, not or only slightly rough at first but more distinctly so at maturity; petiole 1–5 mm. long.. Flowers unisexual, rather fragrant, opening in the evening; ♂ flowers in 5–6-flowered inflorescences, sometimes appearing terminal but in forks of branches; ♀ flowers solitary.. Male: Calyx very narrowly funnel-shaped, 11 mm. long with irregular short lobes 1–2 mm. long, with short spreading white hairs and pale fulvous tomentum outside. Corolla cream, glabrous; tube subcylindrical, 1.5 cm. long, ± widened above to 2.5 mm. at throat; lobes oblong, 5–6 mm. long, 3.5 mm. wide, entire or 2–3-fid (natural?); anthers just exserted from tube, the free parts of the filaments very short; rudimentary ovary ± 1 mm. long with no style.. Female with calyx similar but wider, 9 mm. long, 5.5 mm. wide, with irregular teeth 1–2 mm. long; corolla-lobes 6 mm. long, 2 mm. wide. Anthers just exserted on very short filaments. Ovary ovoid, 2.5 mm. long. Styles ± 9 mm. long; stigmatic branches ± 5 mm. long, exserted.. Fruit translucent orange, ± globose, 1.2 cm. diameter, obscurely ribbed, in a cup 1.6 cm. wide 6 mm. tall, subsessile.. Fig. 4/5, p.16.
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