Growth apparently in flushes, but internodes of equal length. Young parts with lax to rarely dense yellow-brown pubescence, glabrescent. Twigs greenish, furrowed when young, often zig-zag, nodes distinct, with stipular scars taking ⅓ of the twig's circumference. Leaves often distichous. Stipules appressed, triangular, slender, (4-)8-16 mm long, brown and distinctly striate. Petiole ½-2¼ (-3¼) cm, may differ in length from the stipules. Blade coriaceous, 6-22(-36) by 2½-9(-l2½) cm, widest at the middle or slightly above, index (1.9-)2-3(-3.3); base acute, rarely to subcordate, top gradually acuminate; midrib and veins distinct, yellowish to sometimes brownish, often with hairy pit-domatia in the primary axils, major veins about 7-13 on either side, the basal one always thin; reticulation on both sides distinct, not very regular; margins shallowly crenate, rarely entire; surfaces distinctly greenish with variants, darker, glossy, glabrous above, beneath sometimes with a few hairs on the veins. Inflorescences on the young twigs; from an axillary rosette of caducous hypsophylls 1-2 mm long and similar in kind as the stipules, a few (seldom one) partial inflorescences crop out like curving fingers ½-1 cm long, which grow at the top while producing flowers in two rows, the pedicels leaving distinct scars, eventually 10-30. Flower buds initially protected by 2 keeled brownish bracteoles (?) c. 1¼ mm long, the outer ones inserted on the dorsal side of the “finger” where they are to leave a broad pale scar. Sometimes the pattern is less clear, there being a cluster of flowers that may be dense and large in Philippine plants, seldom there is (in New Guinea) a stout common peduncle a few mm long. Pedicel 3-10(-20) mm, jointed at or near the base. Sepals ⅓-½ the length of the petals, rarely as long; fleshy, ciliate. Petals strap-shaped and often S-curved, (2½-)3-4(-5) mm long. Androecium glabrous (occasionally a few hairs at the base of the thecae), filamental tube 0.1-0.5 times as long as the stamens, the filaments 0.1-0.4, the anthers 0.4-0.8; dorsal appendage varying in size and shape, mostly broad-triangular; ventral appendages mostly small. Ovary sometimes hairy, with 3 ovules, style glabrous. Fruit at the base with the dried striate sepals and petals, before maturity globose, (½-)1-1½ cm ø, with a rest of the style, dull, glabrous. Seeds 3, subglobose, 3-7½ mm, yellow-brown with specks of purple to dull purple all over.
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Shrub or small tree to 11 m high; stems with conspicuous leaf scars, pubescent, becoming glabrescent. Leaves alternate: lamina elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 5–17 (–32) cm long, 2–9 (–13) cm wide, entire or crenulate, coriaceous, glabrous or with scattered hairs along veins on lower surface; venation reticulate, distinctly raised on both surfaces; domatia present on the lower surface as a small tuft of hairs; petiole 5–25 mm long; stipules acuminate, 4–9 (–17) mm long, appressed, distinctly striate. Inflorescence axillary, fasciculate; pedicels 3–7 (–10) mm long, yellow-tomentose. Flowers bisexual, sometimes appearing unisexual depending on stage of development, green, white or cream. Sepals broadly lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm long, ciliate. Petals ovate-oblong, 3.5–5 mm long, often S-shaped. Staminal filaments 0.1–0.4 mm long; anthers with distinct, broadly ovate dorsal appendage and small ventral appendage. Style simple. Capsule ± globose, c. 5 mm diam. (to 12 mm diam. in Malaysia), green to brown, glabrous. Seeds 1–3, subglobose, c. 3.5 mm diam. (to 7.5 mm diam. in Malaysia), green, brown or blackish.
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