Tree 4.5-15 m., or shrub 3-6 m. high; branchlets closely and minutely sub-ferruginous-pubescent, in the early stages angled and flattened at the nodes, later becoming reddish brown, striate, and glabrous. Leaves alternate; petioles stout, minutely pubescent to glabrous, canaliculate, to 1.5 cm. long; blades early minutely pubescent, becoming glabrescent to glabrous, coriaceous, usually shining above, dull beneath, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 14-16 (-24) cm. long and 4-5 (-10) cm. broad, the base rounded or sharply cuneate, the latter appearance due to the lower half centimeter or so of the leaf-blade being recurved, the apex long-acuminate, penninerved, the costa slightly impressed above, rather conspicuous and elevated beneath, the nerves 8-12 pairs, inconspicuous above and elevated beneath, diverging from the costa at an angle of 30-450, axillary pubescent glands fre-quently present, the reticulation obscure. Inflorescence axillary, rarely subtermi-nal, paniculate, to 12-15 (-20) cm. long, minutely subferruginous-pubescent to glabrescent, many-flowered, stout, usually wide-branching, the peduncle variable, from extremely short to 8 cm. long. Flowers, large and conspicuous, white, to 12 mm. in diameter, the perianth-lobes elliptic or obovate-elliptic, acutish or obtuse, the inner often more narrow than the outer, reflexed, very fleshy, papillose within, pubescent without, 4-5 mm. long; stamens of ser. I & II 1.25 (-1.5) mm. long, the anthers sessile or subsessile, rounded or broadly rounded-ovate, the fleshy papillose connective often one-third the entire length; those of ser. III to 1.7 mm. long, the anthers broad, narrowing slightly into the thick filaments almost one-half their length, the glands conspicuous, spreading, sessile, almost the length of the anthers; staminodia triquetrous, to 1 mm. long, the thick stipe nearly one-half the entire length; gynaecium glabrous, to 1.7 mm. long, the ovary subglobose, two-thirds the entire length, the style short, the stigma subsessile, triangular-discoid or occasionally obtuse. Fruit globose, apiculate, about 1 cm. in diameter, the subtending cupule very shallow, up to 2 mm. long, 8 mm. in diameter and 2 mm. deep, the margin usually entire and thin, the pedicel to 5 mm. long, expanded to 3 mm. in diameter at the apex.
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