Shrub or treelet, (2-)3-8 m, trunk c. 5 cm Ø; bark smooth. Branchlets obtusangular, slender, practically glabrous. Leaves oblong-elliptic, apex subabruptly acuminate for c. 2 cm and 3-4 mm wide at base of acumen, base broadly attenuate, subinequilateral, thin-coriaceous, glabrous with age, dilutely green-olivaceous in dry specimens, (12-)15-23 by 5-10 cm, midrib, nerves and veins distinctly impressed above in dry specimens, well raised beneath, nerves 6-8 pairs curved-anastomosing and markedly looping, reticulation of veinlets dense and prominent on both faces, or sometimes almost obscure; petiole 8-10 by c. 2 mm. Spikes axillary, solitary or more rarely in twos, erecto-patent, (2-)3-8 cm, laxly many-flowered, lower flowers pedicelled up to 2 mm; rachis slender, 1 mm Ø, puberulous. Calyx 5-lobed to almost the base, lobes ciliate, c. 2 mm. ♂ Flowers: Petals connate to a tube for their lower ¾, 5-6 mm, white in fresh, reddish in dry state. Filaments 3 mm; anther cells 1.5 mm. Rudiment of ovary hirsute. ♀ Flowers only known in developed state. Calyx lobes 2.5 mm. Petals not known. Ovary short-pubescent. Drupe (possibly not quite mature) obliquely elongate-ovoid, subtrigonous, slightly compressed laterally, more attenuate towards the apex than the base, acute, sparsely hairy, green with 12-15 subirregular longitudinal sub-acute and 1-2 mm high ribs, 5-5.5 by (2-)2.5 cm; exocarp spongious, 1-1.5 mm, with longitudinal fibres; endocarp hard, thin, longitudinally many-ribbed.
Forest (Dryobalanops), scattered though obviously locally common, on sandy loam, 50-150 m.