Glab. tree with spreading branches, up to 6 m. tall; trunk up to c. 2 dm. diam., bark grey; branchlets rather stout, often subwhorled, bark reddish purple. Lvs us. crowded towards tips of branchlets, alt. to subopp., or whorled, on stout petioles up to 2 cm. long. Lamina coriac., 5-10 × 2.5-3·5 cm., elliptic to elliptic-oblong, acute to acuminate, glab. (sts sparsely hairy when young), sharply and coarsely serrate (occ. lvs are entire to subentire). Umbels terminal, compound, densely aggregated on short peduncles; bracts conspicuous, early dehiscent; fls fragrant. Sepals linear-subulate to acuminate, up to 1 cm. long; petals white, linear-oblong, obtuse, 2 cm. long or slightly more. Capsules aggregated, elliptic-oblong, c. 1 cm. long or more, 2-valved; valves woody, finely granulate; seeds immersed in pulp, long-persistent after fall of valves, ± enclosed by papery endocarp.

2n = 24