Tree 7-40(-60) m. Twigs hollow, in innovations when dry ± angular, flattish, or ridged, 4-14 mm diameter, glabrescent, at first with rusty, ± woolly hairs 0.3—1(—1.5) mm; bark faintly striate, not flaking; lenticels coarse. Leaves (thinly) chartaceous, lanceolate(-lin-ear), (17-)20-45 by 3-7(-9) cm, base rounded to short-attenuate, apex long acute-acuminate; upper surface drying dull, greenish brown to dark brown, minutely pustulate or not, lower surface late glabrescent or with (partially) persistent hairs of mixed size, 0.1-1(—1.5) mm; dots absent; midrib ± flat above, late glabrescent; nerves 30-42 pairs, thin, flat or sunken above, lines of interarching distinct; venation lax, distinct (leaves frequently ± bullate) or indistinct; petiole (0-)2-7 by (2-)3-5 mm, usually shortly winged by decurrent lamina; leaf bud up to 8 cm long, densely woolly-pubescent. Inflorescences with woolly hairs 0.5-1 mm, or late glabrescent; in male: large, paniculate, many-flowered, 3-5 times branched, 7-30 by 4-14 cm; female 4-10(-15) cm long; peduncle 2-7 cm, at base with a few persistent rather blunt cataphylls 2-4 mm long; bracts ± concave, (2-)4-8(-16) mm long, rather late caducous; flowers in male in loose clusters of 4-10, in female up to 5; perianth 2-(or 3-)lobed, often somewhat angular, glabrous or at base glabrescent, pedicel slender, glabrescent or with hairs 0.3 mm, not articulated; flowers before anthesis, especially in male, densely packed into subglobose or ellipsoid glomerules 4-7 mm diameter wrapped in bracts. Male flowers: pedicel 0.2-2 by 0.3 mm; buds (narrow-)obovoid or clavate, irregularly shaped and angular by being closely packed, 1.5-2.1 by 0.5—1.3(—1.5) mm, apex obliquely obtuse, towards base ± tapering into pedicel, cleft 1/3-1/2, lobes 0.1-0.3 mm thick, sometimes with a few pale dots; androecium ellipsoid-oblong, 1-1.2 by 0.5-0.6 mm, apex broadly rounded (Plate 1: 14); thecae 8-16, completely sessile, 0.8-1.5 mm long, column solid; androphore rather broad, 0.1-0.4 mm long. Female flowers: pedicel stout, 1.5-5.5 mm long; buds ellipsoid to broadly ovoid, ± coriaceous, 3.5-5 by 3-4.5 mm, cleft c. 1/3; ovary broadly ovoid-ellipsoid, 2.5-3 by 2.5 mm, glabrous, stigma sessile, unlobed, 0.1 by 0.5 mm. Fruits 2-10 per in-fructescence, ellipsoid, base and apex sometimes ± acute on drying, 3.4-5.5 by 2.5-3.5 cm, glabrous, without or with few coarse tubercles; pericarp 2-4(-5) mm thick; fruiting pedicel 5-13 mm; perianth not persistent.
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A medium sized tree. It grows 15-20 m tall with fairly straight trunk and long narrow leaves. The leaves droop. The leaves are mid green above and more pale underneath. The yellow pointed fruit hang singly on short stalks along the branches. The fruit is orange on the outside with yellow flesh around a red coated seed. Male and female flowers are separate.
UsesThe wood is heavy, easily worked, not very durable. Fruits (sour taste) edible (Sepik Prov.). The fruit wall is used in rodjak, and in manisan (a sweet pickle) (Moluccas). Extract of bark is used as a drug against 'penyakit keputihan' by pregnant women, also against hepatitis (Moluccas). The fruits are gathered and eaten by the Gogodala tribe (Papua New Guinea, Western Prov.); also planted near villages. Fruits eaten by birds (e.g., pigeons, parrots), apparently swallowed whole. The tree is recorded as beautiful, and recommended as an ornamental. The many vernacular names indicate that the tree is widely known by local people.
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The flesh around the seed is eaten raw. They are sour.
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