A smooth shrub that grows from 1.5 to 4 meters high. Leaves are oblong to elliptic-oblong, 11m to 18 centimeters in length, and 5 to 9 centimeters wide, with pointed tip and rounded base, and somewhat entire or slightly toothed margins. The leaf stalks are 4 to 10 centimeters long. Flowers are fragrant and borne in terminal cymose panicles; calyx is inflated, green at the time of flowering, oblong-ovoid, about 2.5 centimeters long, and 1 centimeters in diameter; corolla-tube is slender, cylindric, 5 to 8 centimeters long and straw-colored or whitish; the lobes are narrowly oblong or linear-oblong, spreading, and about 2.5 centimeters in length. The stamens are exserted, and purple. Fruit is fleshy, blue, somewhat rounded, and about 1 centimeter in diameter. The calyx in the fruit is thickened, red or purple, split into five, 2.5 to 3 centimeters long lobes, and spreading when the fruit is mature.

Bureau of Plant Industry

The plant is used as an external remedy for chest and stomach pains. The leaves are boiled and applied to carbuncles.