Understorey tree or shrub, 1.5-12.0 m high; wood light red. Leaves shortly petiolate, deep green, broadly to narrowly elliptic, base truncate, apex acute, margins nearly smooth to sharply serrate, veins distinctly reticulate; stipules intrapetiolar, fused. Sepals 5, ovate-convex, green, persistent, becoming enlarged in fruit, dark red, reflexed. Petals 5, obovate-cuneate, yellow, fugaceous. Stamens ± 30, free; filaments as long as biporose anthers. Carpels 5, 1-ovulate; styles completely united or upper ends free, recurved; stigmas capitate. Flowering time Aug.-Nov. Fruit hard, black and shiny drupelets.
Leaves petiolate; lamina 2·4–7·5 (12) × 1–3 cm., oblong to elliptic or oblanceolate, acute to obtuse or rounded (often mucronate) at the apex, with margin entire or densely but shallowly serrate, narrowly cuneate to truncate or subcordate at the base, chartaceous to sub-coriaceous, with numerous (c. 20–40) lateral nerves and densely reticulate tertiary venation prominent on both sides; petiole (1) 1·5–2·5 (3) mm. long, slender or rarely somewhat swollen.
Shrub or tree (1·5) 3–9 (12) m. high, with bark very smooth, pale grey and peeling in papyraceous layers to reveal red patches; branches slender, ascending, greyish-brown at first, becoming reddish-purple, not peeling.
Flowers 3–7 (11), in a simple (very rarely compound at the base) terminal erect raceme 0·5–1·5 cm. long; pedicels (0·9) 1·5–2·5 (3) cm. long in fruit, articulated at the base or in the lower 1/4.
Semideciduous tree with flaking bark to 12 m. Leaves elliptic, finely toothed. Flowers several in clusters or panicles, scented, yellow.
Stamens with anthers 1·5–2 (3) mm. long, equalling or to 1/3 as long as the filaments, straight, dehiscing by apical pores.
Sepals 4–6 (6·5) mm. long in flower, elliptic-oblong, rounded, becoming red, 6–9 mm. long, convex and reflexed in fruit.
Carpels 5, with styles recurved at the apex or almost completely united; stigmas small.
Drupelets reniform, inserted centrally, (9) 10–11 × 7–8·5 mm.; embryo curved.
Petals bright yellow, 8–11 × 5–6 (9) mm., obovate to oblanceolate.