Tree to 28 m tall. Lignotuber not recorded but expected to be absent like other closely related species.Bark smooth throughout, becoming granular with age, predominantly grey to whitish to brown, mottled with cream, yellow or orange, shedding in patches.Juvenile growth (coppice or field seedlings to 50 cm): stem rounded or square in cross-section; juvenile leaves always petiolate, opposite for 3–5 pairs then alternate, ovate to lanceolate, not measured, base rounded or tapering to petiole, discolorous, green.Adult leaves alternate, petiole (1.5)1.7–3.3(4) cm long; blade lanceolate to broadly lanceolate to ovate, sometimes the narrower leaves slightly falcate, 8–18 cm long, (2.2)3–6(6.4) cm wide, base oblique or tapering to petiole, discolorous, glossy, dark green above and paler on the underside, side-veins greater than 45° to midrib, densely reticulate, intramarginal vein parallel to and just within margin, oil glands mostly island, occasionally intersectional.Inflorescence axillary unbranched, peduncles 0.8–1.5(2) cm long, buds 7 per umbel, pedicellate (pedicels 0.2–0.4 cm long). Mature buds ovoid to obovoid (0.7–1 cm long, 0.4–0.5 cm wide), scar present, operculum conical, stamens inflexed, anthers cuboid, versatile, dorsifixed, dehiscing by longitudinal slits (non-confluent), style long, stigma blunt to tapered, locules 3 or 4, the placentae usually with 4 vertical ovule rows. Flowers white.Fruit pedicellate (pedicels 0.2–0.5 cm long), normally cupular, rarely funnel-shaped to bell-shaped to hemisperical, 0.4–0.9 cm long, 0.8–1.2 cm wide, disc slightly raised or level, valves 3 or 4, exserted.Seeds black, 1–2(2.2) mm long, cuboid or obliquely pyramidal, dorsal surface pitted, margins toothed, hilum terminal or obliquely positioned. Cultivated seedlings (measured at ca node 10): cotyledons bilobed to oblong; stems square in cross-section; leaves always petiolate, opposite for 4 or 5 nodes then alternate, ovate-lanceolate, 5–11 cm long, (1.7)2–4.2(5) cm wide, base rounded to tapering, discolorous, darker green above, paler beneath.
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