Gynodioec. tree up to ± 12 m. tall; trunk up to 3 dm. or rarely 6 dm. or even more diam. Main branches stout, spreading; bark light brown, thin, flaking, revealing chlorophyll tissue; branchlets ± puberulous. Lvs on slender petioles (1)-2-(4) cm. long; stipules ovate, acuminate, ± 1 mm. long, puberulous. Lamina (3)-10 × (1·5)-3 cm., us. ovate-lanceolate to ovate-oblong, acuminate to acute, rounded or cuneately narrowed to base, glab. except on veins and margins, thin, pale green, pale to silvery below, or occ. suffused with red or purple; margins entire or sinuate, sts obscurely toothed. Fls 20-30 mm. long, us. solitary, sts on naked branches, on slender to capillary peduncles up to ± 15 mm. long. Hypanthium ± 4-angled, up to 15 mm. long. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, 8-14 mm. long; petals dark purple, 2-5 mm. long. Berry dark purple to almost black, ellipsoid, ± 10 mm. long.

n = 11

Gynodioecious, deciduous tree or shrub to ± 12 m high; trunk to 60 cm diam. Main branches stout, spreading; bark conspicuously light pinkish or brownish orange, very thin, peeling in strips; branchlets ± puberulous. Petioles slender, 1-4 cm long. Lamina (1.5)-2-14 × (0.7)-1-6.5 cm, usually lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate or ovate-oblong, usually sinuate, obscurely toothed, glabrous except on veins and margins, thin, dark green above, pale glaucous to silvery below, sometimes suffused with red or purple; base rounded or cuneately narrowed; apex acute to acuminate. Fls usually solitary, pendulous, often cauliflorous; pedicels filiform, to c. 15 mm long. Floral tube 7-20 mm long, green to ± purple at first. Sepals 5-16 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, green at first, the whole calyx turning red later, often eventually reflexing. Petals 2-5 mm long, dark purple, elliptic. Stamens of ☿ fls well exserted; filaments 7-12 mm long, purplish. Style 20-35 mm long, much > stamens; stigma capitate. Berry c. 10 mm long, ellipsoid-oblong, dark purple to almost black.