Shrub or small tree 3 to 5 m. Branchlets terete, sometimes sulcate or slightly 4-angular. Leaves chartaceous to subcoriaceous, always with scattered black dots beneath, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, rarely ovate, or obovate-oblong, 4.5-12.5(-14.5) by 2-4.5(-5.5) cm; base cuneate; apex acuminate; margin slightly recurved, serrulate at the upper half; nerves 4-5 pairs, slightly elevated below, visible or obscure, sometimes depressed above, sometimes obscure on both surfaces, spreading towards near the margin, arching; veins usually obscure on both surfaces; petiole 5-8 mm. Cymes 2-4 times branched, sometimes a triad or even a solitary flower, axillary, or towards the base of the new twigs, short, sometimes up to 3.5 cm, few-flowered. Peduncle short, sometimes up to 2.5 cm. Pedicels 4-6(-8) mm. Flowers dark purple, 4-merous. Calyx lobes subreniform or suborbicular, 0.75-1 by 1-1½ mm, slightly erose, inner lobes slightly larger, thinner, and transparent. Petals suborbicular or broad-obovate, 2.25-3 by 2-3 mm, slightly erose, with a few, longitudinal veins. Disk obscurely 4-angular, c. 1.25 mm ø. Stamens small; anthers slightly depressed-oblong, 0.5 by 4/5 mm, dehiscing at the top; filaments very short, inserted between the pistil and the edge of the disk. Pistil c. ½ mm emerging from the disk, slightly 4-angular towards the base. Fruits broad-obovoid, 18 by 15 mm, 4-lobed, concave at the apex, cuneate at the base, smooth, ochre-yellow suffused with rose-red, finally red. Seeds ellipsoid, smooth, 8 by 5 mm, aril at the base disk-like.
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