Tree, up to 17 m high, 60 cm diam., with rather low-attached crown, reddish bark, and dark wood. Leaves elliptic or ovate to lanceolate, ca 10-15-nerved, 8-25 by 6-16 cm, chartaceous, with rounded to obtuse, often slightly acuminate apex, rounded to obtuse base, and slightly dentate or undulate margin. Petiole 3½-5 cm long, with half-elliptic to half-oblong, 3-12 mm broad, caducous wings. Inflorescence a 1-2-, rarely 3-flowered raceme with 5-16 cm long axis. Flower ca 10-15 cm diam. Sepals 5, the two outer ones ca 1.8 by 1.8 cm, the 3 inner ones 2-2½ by 1.7-2 cm. Petals white, 4-7 by 2-5 cm. Stamens in 2 distinct groups, the outer ones, ca 230, yellow, 11 mm long, straight in bud, the inner ones, ca 40, purplish, 15-23 mm long, with their apex reflexed in bud. Carpels 10-12, 7-9 by 2½-3 mm, with linear, ca 17 mm long, spreading styles, each with 10-12 ovules. Fruit indehiscent, depressed-globose, 4-5 cm high, 5-6 cm diam. including the enclosing slightly fleshy sepals. Carpels slightly spirally twisted, fleshy, 20 by 13 mm, 1-4-seeded. Seeds 5 by3 mm, very finely echin-ate, at the base enclosed by a 2 mm long, membranaceous aril.
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A medium sized shrubby tree. It grows 12 m high. The trunk can be 30 cm across. The bark is reddish. The leaves are leathery, shiny, oval and coarsely toothed. They are 10-20 cm long by 7-12 cm wide. The flowers are large showy and 15-18 cm across. The petals are white and the stamens purple. The fruit are round and enclosed by fleshy sepals. The fruit are 5 to 6 cm across with soft pulp. The fleshy sepals of the fruit are edible.
Uses. The pulp from the fruit is eaten; it makes an excellent sauce or jam and is used, mixed with sugar, as a cough cure. It is also used for cleansing the hair. A red dye is obtained from the bark.
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The fruit (fleshy sepals) are eaten raw and also used for flavouring fish dishes. They can be used in jellies, preserves, curries and drinks. They are sour.
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