A monoecious, small, glabrous tree up to 10 m tall with phyllanthoid branching, bark rough, grey, with prominent lenticels; cataphylls not persistent, blackish-brown, their stipules triangular-ovate; deciduous branchlets ascending, (20-)25-52 cm long, with 25-40 leaves. Leaves broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, (4-)5-9 cm x (2-)2.5-4.5 cm, base obtuse to rounded, apex acute, petiole 2.5-4 mm long, stipules triangular-acuminate. Flowers in dense, cushion-shaped cymules at the nodes of leafless branchlets on older wood, and usually also on proximal branchlets of current year's growth, pale green to reddish; male flowers 4-merous, filaments and anthers free, dehiscing vertically; female flowers on a stout pedicel, 4-merous, disk deeply lobed or split, styles connate, deeply bifid, staminodes present. Fruit drupaceous, oblate, 1-1.5 cm x (1.2-)1.5-2(-2.5) cm when fresh, shallowly 6- or 8-lobed, greenish-yellow to creamy-white. Seeds smooth.

Emetic and purgative (latex); laxative and are taken as a liver tonic to enrich the blood (fruit).

PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation

Ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin (fruits)

The bark is heated with coconut oil and spread on eruptions on feet and hands. A decoction of the bark is used to treat bronchial catarrh. Roots are used in the treatment of psoriasis of the feet; boiled and the vapour inhaled to relieve cough and headache. An infusion of the root is taken to alleviate asthma and skin diseases. Leaf decoctions are applied to urticaria.