Trees, to 15 m tall or more. Bark dark brown, fibrous, persistent. Branchlets ridged. Young leaves opposite; leaf blade broadly lanceolate to ovate, 3-9 × 3-5 cm, leathery. Mature leaves with a 1.5-2.5 cm petiole; leaf blade lanceolate, 10-14 × 2-3 cm, slightly twisted, oblique, glands inconspicuous, secondary veins very dense and at an angle of ca. 70° from midvein, intramarginal veins near margin. Inflorescences axillary, simple, umbels 3-8-flowered; peduncle stout, 1.5-2 cm, compressed. Flower buds obovoid, ca. 2 × 1 cm or sometimes bigger. Hypanthium obconic, ca. 1 cm, ridged; stipe 3-5 mm; calyptra pyramidal awl-shaped, ± as long as hypanthium, apex acute and sometimes beak-shaped. Stamens 1-1.2 cm; anthers ovoid, cells parallel. Capsule semiglobose, 1.2-1.5 cm in diam.; disk prominent; valves 3 or 4, exserted from hypanthium. Fl. Oct-Nov.

Cultivated in Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan [native to E and NE Australia].