Shrubs to medium-sized trees, up to 15 m high, bole up to 5 m high, dbh up to 20 cm; branches drooping; flowering branches 0.8-1.3 mm thick, epidermis of older branchlets with longitudinal slits around pustular lenticels. Bark 6-8 mm thick; outer bark smooth to vertically fissured, peeling off in flakes, grey to grey-brown; middle bark green; inner bark greenish deep red to deep red; wood hard and heavy, straw-coloured. Stipules triangular, 0.5-1.2 by 0.4-0.6 mm, symmetric to asymmetric. Leaves: petiole channelled above, 3-8 mm long; blade ovate, 3.3-8.7 by 1.2-4.9 cm, length/width ratio 1.7-2.2, symmetric, papyraceous, base broadly cuneate; margin somewhat revolute, apex caudate, tip rounded and mucronulate, both surfaces smooth, though often pustules present, yellowish green to dark green and generally glossy above, light green and duller beneath; venation slightly raised on both sides when dry, nerves 5-7 per side till apex, looped and closed near margin, veins and veinlets reticulate. Inflorescences: bracts c. 0.7 by 0.5 mm, apex erose. Staminate flowers c. 5 mm diam., very fragrant; pedicel 8-9.5 mm long, capillary, cylindrical; sepals: 2 smaller ovate, c. 1.8 by 1.5 mm, margin entire, 2 larger obovate, c. 2.7 by 2 mm, apex very broadly rounded and serrate; filaments 1-1.5 mm long, thick, cylindrical; anthers c. 0.6 by 0.5 mm. Pistillate flowers 4.5-5 mm diam.; pedicel c. 1.5 cm long, cylindrical, broadening towards apex; sepals 6, in two whorls of 3, outer whorl elliptic, c. 5 by 1 mm, acute, apex recurved, inner spathulate, c. 4 by 2 mm, subcucullate, margin membranous, apex acute, black; disc lobes c. 0.3 mm high; ovary ovoid, c. 1.5 by 1.5 mm, stigmas with c. 0.5 mm high stipe and c. 1.3 by 1.1 mm blade-like part. Fruits (seen dehisced) ovoid to subglobose, up to 13 by 13 mm, green when young; pedicel elongating up to 7.7 cm; columella 7-8 mm long. Seeds elliptic, 8.4-8.5 by 4-4.2 by 3.5-3.8 mm.
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