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Leaves coriaceous; petiole 8–15 mm. long, pale to conspicuously dark brown; lamina 4·5–9 (11) x 1·2–4 cm., elliptic, ovate–elliptic or oblong–elliptic, with apex acute to acuminate and tipped with a small hard point, and base cuspidate to acuminate; upper surface glossy, with midrib impressed or level and the 5–6 pairs of lateral nerves faintly raised, joining inconspicuously in loops; lower surface mat, and paler, with prominent midrib and faintly raised lateral nerves; both surfaces punctate with scattered circular scales just visible with hand lens, these sometimes difficult to see on upper surface, lower surface never with metallic sheen; margin slightly revolute, often somewhat undulate.
A tree. It grows 25-30 m high. Large trees have buttresses at the base. It can also be a bushy shrub. The bark is light grey but becomes dark and cracked. The leaves are green and shiny above and paler underneath. They are almost round and 3-10 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. The flowers are white or cream and have a sweet scent. They are in heads 3-15 cm long in the axils of leaves or at the ends of branches. The fruit are oval and 2 cm long by 1 cm wide. They are fleshy and purple when ripe. There are 3 subspecies.
Corolla c. 3 mm. long, white, globose in bud and remaining thus for a prolonged period, ultimately opening, the elliptic–acute lobes then reflexed; tube c. 1/3 as long as lobes.
Tree 10–40 m. high; bark pale grey, longitudinally fissured; slash reportedly of various colours: orange–brown, cream or rich green; wood exceedingly hard and durable.
Inflorescence a many–flowered paniculate cyme, terminal and in axils of upper two leaf–pairs; bracts 0·3–1 mm. long, subulate.
Shrub or tree to 12 m. Leaves elliptic-ovate. Flowers in terminal panicles, white.
Fruit up to 1·7 cm. long (dry), ellipsoid, with very thick woody endocarp.
Calyx c. 1 mm. long, cup–shaped, subentire with 4–toothed rim.
Young sterns glabrous, ± terete, bark grey, fairly smooth.
Gynoecium c. 1·5 mm. long.
Anthers c. 2 mm. long.
Seed not seen.
