- a small evergreen tree, 10-20 m high

- leaves opposite, petiolate, lanceolate, pinkish to dark green, with translucent, aromatic glands, have a pungent odour when young

- inflorescence occurs as racemose panicles and bears buds that take on the form of nails before blossoming

- flowers red with four concave, overlapping petals that drop off as soon as the flower opens; stamens numerous; 4 calyx lobes

- buds 10-20 mm long, bright reddish-brown to dark brown; lower part (the hypanthium) solid, cylindrical, flattened, tapering towards the base and bearing at the apex, thick, triangular, divergent sepals, alternating with four rounded, fragile, unexpanded, membranous, imbricated petals forming a pale, nearly spherical head that encloses numerous stamens, curved inward and inserted on small disc.

- fruits dark red, fleshy drupe