Tree to 10 m tall. Forming a lignotuber. Bark rough to 5 cm diameter branches, stringy, pale grey to grey-brown. Juvenile growth (coppice or field seedlings to 50 cm): stem rounded in cross-section, scabrid to ca node 10–12; juvenile leaves subsessile to shortly petiolate and opposite for 4 to 6 pairs then alternate, petiolate, ovate to elliptical, 2.5–11 cm long, 1.2–5.5 cm wide, margin slightly undulate and irregular becoming entire, glossy, green; petiole and lamina scabrid on both surfaces for at most 10 pairs, often fewer. Adult leaves alternate, petiolate, petiole 0.7–1.8 cm long; blade lanceolate to elliptical to ovate or falcate, 5–13 cm long, 1.5–3.5 cm wide, base usually oblique, thick-textured, concolorous, glossy, green, coriaceous, side-veins acute, reticulation absent, intramarginal vein parallel to and remote from margin, oil glands island, irregular in shape. Inflorescence axillary unbranched, peduncles 0.5–1.2 cm long, buds in umbels of 9 to 15, sessile or the pedicel to 0.3 cm long. Mature buds ovoid to diamond-shaped, 0.6–0.7 cm long, 0.3–0.4 cm wide, green, smooth, warty or scurfy, scar absent, operculum usually obtusely conical, stamens irregularly flexed, anthers reniform to cordate, versatile, dorsifixed, dehiscing by confluent slits, style long, stigma tapered, locules 3 or 4, the placentae each with 2 vertical ovule rows. Flowers white. Fruit sessile or on pedicels 0.1 cm long, hemispherical or shortly truncate-globose, 0.4–0.6 cm long, 0.7–1.2 cm wide, disc raised-convex or oblique, or disc level, valves 3 or 4, enclosed, near rim level or slightly exserted. Seeds brown or blackish, 1.3–2.5 mm long, pyramidal or obliquely pyramidal, dorsal surface smooth, hilum terminal. Cultivated seedlings (measured at ca node 10): cotyledons reniform; stems rounded in cross-section, stellate-hairy; leaves always at least shortly petiolate, opposite for 4 to 6 nodes then alternate, ovate, 4.5–10 cm long, 2–5.5 cm wide, base rounded or slightly lobed, margin irregular and undulate, apex pointed, slightly discolorous, glossy, mid-green. Leaves sparsely to moderately stellate-hairy on upper and lower surfaces.
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