Changes

*Deciduous medium-sized to large tree up to 40(–50) m tall; bole generally straight and branchless for up to 20 m, up to 150(–200) cm in diameter, at base fluted or with low buttresses; bark longitudinally fissured and finely scaly, grey to brown; crown rounded, open; young branches tetragonal, rusty brown hairy. *Leaves decussately opposite, simple and entire; stipules absent; petiole 2.5–5 cm long, hairy; blade broadly ovate to elliptical-ovate or obovate, 20–60(–100) cm × 15–35(–50) cm, cuneate at base, acuminate at apex, thinly leathery, glabrescent above, hairy and scabrous below, pinnately veined. *Inflorescence consisting of cymes arranged in a large terminal panicle up to 70 cm long. *Flowers bisexual, regular, 5–7-merous, small, 3–6 mm long; calyx shortly lobed, persistent; corolla with a short tube and longer, patent or reflexed lobes, white with pink on the lobes; stamens inserted at the base of the corolla tube; ovary superior, ovoid, 4-celled, style slender, stigma 2-lobed. *Fruit a globose drupe 1–1.5 cm in diameter, densely hairy, usually 1–2-seeded, enclosed by the accrescent calyx. *Seeds ovoid, c. 6 mm × 4 mm, without endosperm. *Seedling with epigeal germination; cotyledons with a notched apex.

{{right|(N.P. Mollel & P. Baas)}}