Tree 10 to 20 m tall. Forming a lignotuber.Bark rough to the small branches, grey over grey-brown, finely stringy or fibrous, sometimes quite hard, forming longitudinal furrows. Branchlets have pith oil glands especially near nodes; not glaucous.Juvenile growth (coppice or field seedlings to 50 cm): stems squared in cross-section, smooth, non-glaucous; leaves opposite, petiolate (petioles ca 1.5-3 cm long), lamina broadly lanceolate to falcate, 12-25 cm long, 2.5-7 cm wide, base tapering to petiole, apex blunt or acute, margin entire, dull, green, concolorous, glabrous.Adult leaves opposite to sub-opposite, petioles 1–2.2 cm long; blade lanceolate or falcate (8)10.5-19.5(22) cm long, (1)1.5–3(3.5) cm wide, base tapering to petiole, concolorous, dull green, side-veins at more than 45° to the midrib, rarely acute, tertiary venation sparse to moderate, intramarginal vein present and close to the margin, oil glands mostly island.Inflorescence axillary single, peduncles 0.9-3 cm long, usually flattened-angular, buds 3 per umbel, pedicellate, (pedicels 0.3–1(1.3) cm long). Mature buds ovoid, obovoid or pyriform (1–1.3 cm long, 0.5–0.8 cm wide), basally 2-ribbed/angled, not glaucous, outer perianth whorl of 4 persistent sepals 0.5–1.2(1.5) cm long, the sepals each with a prominent central rib, inner perianth whorl united to form a rounded operculum with 4 prominent ribs and usually a coarse umbo, stamens inflexed, anthers oblong, versatile, dorsifixed, dehiscing by longitudinal slits (non-confluent), style long, tapering apically to a small blunt stigma, locules usually 3, the ovules arranged in 4 distinct vertical rows on the placentae. Flowers white or creamy white.Fruit clusters on down-turned, spreading or erect peduncles; fruit pedicellate (pedicels 0.3–1(1.3) cm long), cup-shaped to ± cylindrical and often square in cross-section, 1.3–2.3 cm long, 0.9–1.6 cm wide, the sepals persistent on the rim of the fruit as four teeth 4-9 mm long, disc vertically descending, valves 3, enclosed.Seeds grey, flattened-ovoid, 2–4 mm long, surface smooth, faint ridges may be present, a partial marginal flange may also be present, hilum ventral.Cultivated seedlings (measured at node 10): not grown yet.
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