A small tree to 9 m tall. Forming a lignotuber.Ironbark to the small branches, dark grey to black; branchlets glaucous.Juvenile growth (coppice or field seedlings to 50 cm): stem round in cross-section, glaucous; juvenile leaves distinctly petiolate, opposite to alternate, orbicular, 6.5–11 cm long, 6–11 cm wide, base rounded to truncate to shallowly lobed, glaucous.Adult leaves alternate, petiole 1.5–3.5 cm long; blade elliptical to ovate to broadly lanceolate, 6–12 cm long, 2.2–5(6) cm wide, base tapering to petiole, concolorous, dull, glaucous, side-veins normally at an angle less than 45° to midrib, densely to very densely reticulate, intramarginal vein parallel to and just within margin, oil glands sparse and intersectional.Inflorescence terminal compound or axillary compound or axillary single umbels, peduncles 0.5–1.5 cm long, buds 7 per umbel, pedicels 0.2–0.5 cm long. Mature buds obovoid to fusiform, hypanthium with four longitudinal ribs, 0.7–0.8 cm long, 0.4–0.5 cm wide, glaucous, scar present (first operculum sheds very early in bud development), operculum conical, stamens irregularly flexed, anthers cuboid, adnate, slits or pores separate, style long, stigma pin-head shaped, locules 4, the placentae each with 4 vertical ovule rows. Flowers white.Fruit pedicellate (pedicels 0.2–0.4 cm long), cup-shaped to barrel-shaped, ribbed longitudinally, glaucous, 0.7–0.9 cm long, 0.6–0.9(1) cm wide, disc descending, valves 4, tips near the rim or enclosed.Seeds brown, 1.8–2.5 mm long, flattened-ovoid, dorsal surface shallowly reticulate, hilum ventral. Cultivated seedlings (measured at ca node 10):cotyledons small, reniform; stems square in cross-section, white with wax; leaves always petiolate, opposite for ca 6 nodes then alternate, broadly ovate, 5.5–8 cm long, 3.3–5.4 cm wide, base broadly tapering, rarely rounded, green with some white wax on petiole, midrib and main lateral veins otherwise dull to slightly glossy.
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