Deciduous trees, up to 30 m tall; bark 15-20 mm thick, surface grey-black, very rough, deeply vertically fissured, horizontally cracked, forming tessellated, thick flakes; blaze red. Leaves simple, opposite to subopposite, exstipulate; petiole 10-20 mm long, stout, grooved above, glabrous; lamina 13-20 x 5-13 cm, oblong, oblong-ovate, elliptic-oblong or elliptic-ovate; base oblique; apex acute, round, or obtuse, margin entire or crenulate, glabrous, coriaceous, midrib with 2 stalked glands near the base beneath; lateral nerves 10-20 pairs, parallel, prominent, intercostal scalariform, prominent.

Flowers bisexual, dull yellow, 2-3 mm across, in terminal and axillary paniculate spikes; peduncle tomentose; bracteoles 1-2 mm long, linear or subulate; calyx tube 1-2× 1-1.8 mm, angled, base pubescent, constricted above the ovary, lobes 5, ovate, yellow, densely villous inside; petals absent; stamens 10 in 2 rows; filaments 4-5 mm; disc 5-lobed, villous; ovary 2.5 mm long, inferior, densely villous, 1-celled; ovules 2 or 3, pendulous; style 4 mm, subulate; stigma small. Fruit a drupe 3.5 x 5.5 cm, longitudinally 5-winged, glabrous; wings equal, thin, pubescent, lines on the wings horizontal, apex round, coriaceous, reddish-brown; one seed