Tree up to 8- 20  (-25) m tall, wiyh smooth to deeply  fissured grey or brownish bark, yound branches terete. Leav coriaceous, petiole 0.3-1 cm long lamina elliptic to obovate-oblong, rounded to acuminate at apex, rounded to acute at base, tertiary veins indistinct on lower surface, 3.5-8 cm long and 1.5-4 cm wide. Inlorescence cymose ,up to 10 cm l0ng and wide. Flowers white, petals up to 0.2-0.3 cm long. Fruit a globose red or reddish-black berry up to 0.8- 1. Cm in diameter.

A liquid obtained from the pounded bark has cold water added and taken as a treatment for stomach-ache, as an enthelmintics, and as purgative. The roots  are sometimes mixed with the stem for the same treatment. Bark decoction mixed with goat’s soup and taken for strengthen and for infertility. Bark infusion is taken as a remedy for abdominal pains. The bark is used as traditional medicine against amoebiasis and may also be useful against cancer (Nkurunziza, 2004 of diarrhea, stomachache, broken bones and wounds). The powdered bark is used as an antispasmodic, purgative and anthelmintic, and used  for treatment of diarrhea, stomachache, broken bones, and purgative.