Shrub or small tree, up to 10—(15) m. Young branchlets densely stellate-pubescent. Leaves more or less coriaceous, glabrous except for a few hairs on the nerves and the bearded nerve-axils at the underside (see var. 2), here with an often indistinct spotty gland at the base on both sides of midrib, elliptic-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 10-25 by 5-10 cm, apex abruptly short-acuminate, base cuneate, margins entire; nervation rather prominent beneath; primary nerves 5-7 on each side, anastomosing; petioles up to 4 cm long. Inflorescence densely many-flowered, umbellate, corymbiform, up to 15-18 cm across, axes densely stellate-pubescent; peduncle stout, 4-6 cm long; primary rays 6-8. Bracts and bracteoles small, linear-lanceolate, stellately pubescent. Flowers small, 3-4 mm diam., very fragrant. Calyx-limb with ovate-triangular, acute, ciliate lobes, ¾-1 mm long. Corolla rotate or campanulate, globular in bud, white or creamy,tube 1(-1½) mm,lobes spreading, ovate, rounded, (1-)1½ (—2) mm, usually tube somewhat shorter than lobes, not rarely the reverse. Stamens long-exsert; filaments almost filiform, serpentine in bud, inserted at base of corolla, (4-)5-7(-9) mm; anthers elliptic to oblong, ¾-1 mm. Ovary cylindric, usually densely hairy, 1-1½ mm long. Drupe ovate, much compressed, young thinly hairy, gla-brescent, ripening bluish black, (7-)9(-10) by (5-)6(-7) mm. Endocarp undulate in cross-section, dorsally 2-grooved, ventrally 3-grooved, lateral ventral grooves often obsolete.
Open primary and secondary forests, in brushwood, particularly at forest-edges in the lower mountain zone (up to 1800 m), occasionally in swampy places in the lowlands. Fl. fr. Jan.-Dec.
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