An evergreen tree, up to 30 m tall, with white gummy latex. Leaves alternate, spreading, oblong to obovate, 5—16 cm x 3—6 cm, leathery, reddish ferruginous-sericeous on both sides, quickly glabrescent above, almost parallel secondary nerves very characteristic; petioles 0.6—1.7 cm long. Inflorescences axillary on current season's shoots, with 5—35 clustered, small, yellowish to purplish-white flowers; sepals 5, circular to ovate; corolla tubular, ca. 4 mm long, lobes 5, ovate; stamens 5; stigma 7—11-lobed. Fruit an obovoid-globose berry, 5—10 cm in diameter, purplish-brown or yellowish-green; skin thin, glossy, glabrous, leathery; flesh purple or white, 3—12 mm thick, soft and juicy, surrounding the 4—11-celled endocarp, which is star-like when cut transversely. Seeds 3—10, flattened obovoid, about 2 cm x 1 cm x 0.5 cm, purplish-black, with chartaceous testa and a large lighter-coloured hilum.

Taken as a pectoral (decoction of rind or leaves); astringent, tonic and stimulant (bark); tonic, diuretic and febrifuge (seed); diuretic, febrifuge and vermifuge (dried latex)

Center for New Crops & Plant Products, at Purdue University
PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation

Used to sooth inflammation in laryngitis and pneumonia, as a treatment for diabetes mellitus and as a decoction is gargled to relieve angina (ripe fruit); eaten to overcome intestinal disturbances (unripe fruits); taken to halt diarrhea, dysentery and hemorrhages, and as a treatment for gonorrhea and bladder catarrh (bark); as a cancer remedy (decoction of leaves); applied on abscesses and dried powdered form given in dysentery (latex).