Trees, large. Bark at base of trunk brown-gray, slightly rough, persistent but apically grayish blue, smooth, and exfoliating. Branchlets ± ridged. Young leaves opposite; petiole short; leaf blade lanceolate to ovate, thinly leathery. Mature leaves with a 2-2.5 cm petiole; leaf blade lanceolate, 10-20 × 1.5-3 cm, secondary veins at an angle of 50°-65° from midvein, intramarginal veins very near margin. Inflorescences axillary, simple, umbels 3-9-flowered; peduncle ridged, 0.8-1.2 cm, compressed. Flowers buds obovoid, 8-9 × 4-5 mm. Hypanthium hemispheric, cylindric, or campanulate, 2-3 mm; stipe 0-3 mm; calyptra shortly pyramidal awl-shaped, shorter than or as long as hypanthium, apex acuminate. Stamens slightly longer than flower buds; anthers oblong-elliptic, dehiscing longitudinally, glands abaxial. Capsule cylindric, campanulate, or subpyriform, 5-6 × 5-6 mm; disk narrow; valves 3 or 4, exserted from hypanthium. Fl. Apr-May.

Cultivated in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Jiangxi, and Taiwan [native to E Australia].