Tree 5(-14) m tall, the twigs sharply angled, somewhat rufous with scutellate, peltate scales. Leaves oblong or elliptical, 5-17 cm long, 3-5 cm wide, sub-coriaceous, apically acuminate, basally obtuse, the veins 6-9 on each side, arcuate, impressed above, elevated and somewhat rufous beneath, the minor venation reticulate, sometimes indistinct, the minor venation minutely elevated on each side, appearing glabrous above but with dispersed peltate scutellate scales 0.3 mm across, beneath fine appressed tomentose with white scutellate scales and punctate with emergent, darker scales; petiole 8-20 mm long, slender, lepidote. Inflorescences short racemes to ca. 5 cm long in the axils of the upper leaves; peduncle angled, slender; pedicels nodding, angled, 7-10 mm long; bracts scale-like, ca. 2 mm long, caducous. Flowers 10-14 mm long, calyx finely and evenly lepidote, subtruncate, cupular, 3-4 mm long and about as wide; corolla valvate, divided to the calyx rim into linear segments, dorsally fine tomentose, 7-9 mm long; stamens 10, the filaments connate for the basal 2/3, adnate to the corolla tube for the basal 1/2, appressed pubescent dorsally, with a prominent incon-spicuously tomentose boss on the ventral side just above the point of corolla insertion, glabrous and narrower above, the anthers linear, 2-thecate, exserted from the corolla tube but shorter than the corolla lobes, the connective covering the back of the anther; ovary apically subtruncate, beaked, scutellate-lepidote overall, the stigma linear with 3 minute stigmatic lobes, slightly exceeding the anthers. Fruit not seen (Gonsoulin), 12-15 mm long, 7-8 mm wide, silvery lepidote; seed usually 1.