Shrub or large tree 3–15 m. tall, glabrous; branches grooved, flattened or 4-angled when young, eventually cylindric; bark grey or brown, somewhat rough with fine reticulation; slash deep red with very fine drops of yellow latex.. Leaves opposite; blades elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate or elliptic-oblong, 6–16 cm. long, 3–6 cm. wide, acute, obtuse or rarely shortly acuminate or apiculate at the apex, cuneate at the base, coriaceous, bluish to sage-green above, paler beneath, the venation prominent on both surfaces; lateral nerves 30–60 pairs, leaving the midrib almost at right-angles; longitudinal glandular canals usually visible beneath; petiole 0.6–1.6 cm. long, channelled above, longitudinally grooved and transversely wrinkled, the ligule prominent.. Flowers dioecious or ? polygamous, solitary or in fascicles of 2–7 in the axils of the older leaves; pedicels 0.7–1 .5(–2.7) cm. long.. Sepals 4, pale green, decussate, unequal, oblong to round, 1.5–5 mm. long, and wide, obtuse.. Petals 4, greenish or creamy white or yellowish with longitudinal translucent glandular lines, ± round, 4–6(–10) mm. long, 5–6 mm. wide.. Male flowers with 4 spongy fasciclodes united in the centre of the flower, alternating with 4 staminal bundles, each made up of (5–)8–10 stamens with the filaments connate for up to 2/3 of their length.. Female flowers with small denticulate fasciclodes alternating with bundles of (2–)3–5 staminodes; ovary globose to ovoid, 2-locular; stigma fleshy, ± 2-lobed.. Fruits orange-yellow when mature, globose, (1–)2.5–3.7 cm. long, 2.2–3.7 cm. wide, 1.7–2.8 cm. thick.. Seeds 1–2, ovoid, (1–)2.6 cm. long, 2.1 cm. wide, 1.6 cm. thick, flattened on one side, the seed coat dark brown with some pale anastomosing lines.
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A small to medium sized tree. It is 4-13 m high. The branches are often horizontal and slender. The bark is smooth and brown. The young branches are grooved and square in cross section. The leaves are narrowly oval. They are 6-16 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. They are leathery and bluish-grey. They are dull above and paler green underneath. The young leaves have fine parallel veins. The edges of the leaf are wavy. The leaf stalk is has a channel on above. The leaves give a yellow sap. The flowers are white to yellowish and 10 mm across. They occur singly or in groups of 2-7. They occur in short spurs on older branches. The fruit are almost round and 2.5 cm across. They are yellow-orange when mature. They are edible.
Evergreen forest, forest edges; grassland; at elevations from 1,200-2,300 metres. An understorey tree of evergreen rain forest and wooded ravines at elevations from 1,350-2,100 metres.
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A tropical plant. It grows as an understorey tree in evergreen forest. In Malawi it grows between 700-2,200 m altitude. In Zimbabwe it rows between 1,350-2,100 m above sea level.
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