A deciduous, moderate-sized tree, 10—25(—35) m tall; stem often buttressed at the base, diameter up to 1.5 m; bark dark grey-brown, fissured; branches arranged in tiers, spaced 1—2 m apart, long and horizontal, giving the tree a curiously regular appearance; young branches thickened, densely pilose, but usually quickly glabrescent. Leaves alternate, short-petioled, clustered at branch tips, usually obovate, but sometimes more or less elliptic, (8—)15—25(—38) cm x (5—)8—15(—24) cm, papery to thinly leathery, shiny, more or less glabrous and minutely verruculose, with a subcordate base usually provided with 2 glands, and a rounded or shortly acuminate apex. Flowers in axillary 8—16 cm long spikes, in which the majority is male, a few bisexual flowers being present only towards the base, very small, greenish-white, with a barbate disk, 5 calyx lobes, usually 10 stamens and a style; petals absent. Fruit an ovoid or ellipsoid drupe, 3.5—7 cm x 2—5(—5.5) cm, slightly flattened, with a prominent keel, usually glabrous, green to yellow and red at maturity. Stone surrounded by a 3—6 mm thick layer of juicy flesh.

Sudorific (leaves); vermifuge (decoction of leaves); diuretic and cardiotonic (tannin from bark and leaves).

PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation

(+)-catechin, epicatechin, leucocyanidin, tannin (bark); ascorbic acid, linoleic acid, myristic acid, niacin, oleic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, riboflavin, stearic acid, thiamin (seed); beta-carotene, corilagin, ellagic acid, gallic acid (fruit); kaempferol, quercetin (leaf).

Externally applied to rheumatic joints (leaves); used as an astringent in dysentery and thrush, and is applied externally on skin eruptions (tannin from bark and leaves).