A moderate-sized, evergreen tree up to 36 m tall; bole 40-65 cm in diameter, buttressed and with kneed pneumatophores. Bark grey to almost black, roughly fissured, usually with large corky lenticels on buttresses and base of stem. Branching mostly sympodial. Leaves decussately opposite, simple and entire, coriaceous, elliptic to oblong, 8.5-22 cm x 5-7(-9) cm; base cuneate, rarely obtuse, apex acute; nerves 9-10 pairs; petiole 2-4.5 cm long, often reddish. Flowers solitary, 3-3.5 cm long, generally nodding, with 1-2.5 cm long, often reddish. Flowers solitary, 3-3.5 cm long, generally nodding, with 1-2.5 cm long pedicels, which are bright red on the outside curve; calyx red to pink-red, lobes (10-)12-14(-16), tube usually ribbed at the upper part; petals 13-15 mm long, 2-lobed with acute lobes, each with 3-4 long bristles, outer margins fringed with white silky hairs especially at the base; stamens 8-11 mm long, with linear anthers, embraced by the petals; ovary inferior, style about 15 mm long with filiform stigma. Fruit a campanulate berry enclosed by the calyx tube, 2-2.5 cm long, 1-celled and 1(-2)-seeded. Hypocotyl cigar-shaped, slightly angular, with a blunt narrowed apex, perforating the apex of the fruit and falling with it, 15-25 cm x 1.5-2 cm. |
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