Shrub or tree 2-20 m high. Twigs shortly hairy and finely ridged; branching sometimes dichotomous. Leaves trifoliolate or imparipinnate with 1-3 pairs of leaflets; up to 14 cm long including petiole of 1.3-2.5 cm; rachis segments 0.8-1.7 cm long; petiole and rachis segments semiterete, usually bearded above and narrowly winged, the wings extending c. 1 mm from midline; blade subcoriaceous to coriaceous, glabrous on both surfaces, usually punctate beneath; lateral leaflets lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 2.9-6.7 by 0.9-1.7 cm, apex acute, base asymmetrical, the distal side acute to attenuate, proximal side obtuse; terminal leaflet narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate, (2.8-)4.3-11 by (0.9-)1.2-2.3 cm, apex acute, base attenuate; margin somewhat thickened and minutely revolute, crenate especially towards the apex with 14-17 notches on each side; midrib narrowly prominent above and slightly prominent beneath, when sometimes hirsute. Stipules usually elliptic, ligulate or rhomboidal, c. 0.7 by 0.4 cm, obtuse to broadly acute at apex. Inflorescence a central triad or usually pentad, the lower racemes in the axils of leaves or not; peduncles and rachis segments 0.9-1.6 cm long; racemes 5-9 cm long; inflorescences axes puberulent. Flowers unisexual and plants dioecious; pedicel 1-2 mm long, puberulent; calyx lobes 0.7-1.1 by 0.6-0.9 mm, ± glabrous; petals elliptic, 1.1-1.7 by 0.7-1 mm; disc lobes 0.4-0.8 mm long; in male flowers: filaments 2.4-3 mm long, ovary 0.6-1 mm long ± glabrous, styles minute, 0.2 mm long and curved inwards; in female flowers: filaments 0.9-2 mm long, ovary 1-1.8 mm long, almost glabrous, styles 0.9-1.5 mm long, stigmas capitate and papillose. Capsules distinctly supported by receptacle, valves 2-4 by 1.3-1.8 mm at dehiscence; exocarp minutely ridged, almost glabrous (few minute strigose hairs); calyx lobes not persistent. Seeds 0.8-1 mm long, 16 per capsule, comose at both ends, the hairs c. 0.5 mm long.
In mossy montane forest and as an early coloniser on volcanic substrates where it is sometimes very abundant.On Manus and Karkar, from 530-720 m and 820-1050 m respectively, and in New Britain from 1200-2100 m
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