Leaves petiolate; lamina variable, 3–25 x 2–13 cm., ovate, oblong, obovate or elliptic to almost round or oblate, emarginate to acuminate at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base, glabrous to scabrid-puberulous or pubescent above, glabrous to densely pubescent beneath, often strongly discolorous, pale beneath, often with a characteristic pattern of dark veinlets beneath on drying, thin to ± coriaceous; nodules absent but domatia present; petiole 0.3–3(3.5) cm. long, glabrous to densely pubescent; stipules triangular or ovate-triangular, 0.4–1.1 cm. long, acute to acuminate at the apex, obscurely 2-toothed or ± awned, glabrous or pubescent, deciduous.
A shrub or small tree. It has a woody rhizome. It grows 2-4 m tall. The leaves are opposite and simple. They are velvety underneath. The leaves are oval to round and 3-25 cm long by 2-13 cm wide. There are many flowers in a group. The fruit is round, 2 lobed and fleshy. It is 5-7 mm long by 7-10 mm wide. The seeds are a flattened round shape and 4.5 mm across. They are dark brown. It is a variable plant.
Flowers heterostylous, (4)5(6)-merous, in usually trichotomous or much-branched inflorescences, each panicle rather dense and many-flowered; peduncle (1)4–13 cm. long, glabrous to densely pubescent; secondary branches 0.5–4 cm. long; pedicels obsolete or 0.5 mm. long; 2 inferior bracts sometimes developed, others and bracteoles minute.
Drupes red, with 2 pyrenes, didymously subglobose, 5–6(7) x 7–8(10) mm., glabrous or puberulous or shortly pubescent; pyrenes subglobose, 5 x 5 x 4 mm.; dorsal face entire, not folded, sometimes so coated with rhaphides as to appear silvery.
Corolla yellow, cream or greenish yellow, glabrous, puberulous or in a variety velvety-tomentose outside; tube 3.5–5 mm. long; lobes 1.7–2.5 x 1–1.2 mm. thickened at the apex.
Seeds dark brown, subglobose, 4.5 x 4.5 x 3.5 mm.; ventral face flat, dorsal face not ribbed; endosperm with ventral face deeply and dorsal face slightly ruminate.
Subshrub or small tree, with woody or herbaceous stems 0.15–2.4(5) m. tall from a woody rhizome; stems glabrous to densely pubescent, sparsely branched.
Calyx tube ± 1 cm. long, obconic; limb 0.75–1 mm. long, cupuliform, glabrous or pubescent with unequal triangular lobes 0.5–1.75 mm. long, acuminate.
Style 1–2.5 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 6 mm. long in long-styled flowers; stigma lobes 0.5–1 mm. long.
Stamens with filaments 1.5–2.5 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 0.25 mm. long in long-styled flowers.