A large deciduous tree 12 to 15 m tall. Leaf clustered in the ends, broadly elliptic, coriaceous, crimson and pubescent, glabrous, apex acuminate, base rounded; petioles 2 to 4 cm long, stipules 0.6 to 1.0 cm long, pubescent. Flowers numerous, scented, pubescent, calyx 1.6 cm long, sepals elliptic, ovate to lanceolate, corolla creamy white, tube 8 mm long. Fruits berry ovoid or subglobose, 2.5 to 5.0 cm long, greenish turns yellow when ripe. Seeds 1 to 4, brown, oblong-ellipsoid shiny.

Fresh juice of the plant is alterative, while the spirit distilled from the flowers is powerful stimulant, astringent, tonic and appetiser. Flowers are cooling demulcent, expectorant, tonic nutritive and stimulant, antidiabetic and hypotensive (bark); antibacterial (aerial part); spermicide (seed); astringent (bark and flower).

Triterpenoids (fruit); saponins, sapogenin and a fatty oil (seed); beta-carotene and sitosterol (leaf).

In ulcers (root bark); as a tonic (flower and bark); in diabetes, in itching, bleeding gums, ulcers, rheumatism, diabetes and as an astringent (bark); in piles (flowers); for skin diseases (seed oil); as a poultice for eczema (leaves).

Liquor obtained from the flowers by distillation is known to cause gastric irritation in large doses.

Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.