Tree 3-15(-20) m tall, deciduous. Perulate winter buds usually glabrous. Branchlets glabrous or puberulous, purple-brown with pale lenticels. Bark dark blackish brown. Leaf blade narrowly elliptic to oblong, sometimes oblanceolate or lanceolate, 5-16(-20) x 2-6(-8) cm, base usually rounded to cordate, sometimes broadly cuneate, apex acute to acuminate or caudate, margin finely serrate, sometimes with curved, overlapping teeth, adaxially glabrous or minutely puberulous along veins, abaxially glabrous or with tufts of ferruginous-villous hairs in vein axils. Petiole 1-3 cm long, glabrous or puberulous often with 2 glands towards the apex. Stipules narrowly triangular to subulate with glandular fimbriate margins, 5-15 mm long, caducous. Inflorescence racemose, many flowered, 8-25 cm long, erect, terminal on lateral shoots with 1-6 basal leaves; rachis velutinous to glabrous. Flowers 5-10 mm in diameter, fragrant, opening after the leaves. Pedicels 3-10 cm long, velutinous. Hypanthium broadly campanulate to cupular, 2-3 mm long, glabrous to velutinous outside. Sepals rounded, ca. 1 mm long, margin glandular fimbriate, glabrous. Petals white, obovate to suborbicular, shortly clawed at base, 2.5-3.5 mm long, margin erose towards the apex. Stamens 20-25, 2-3 mm long, filaments glabrous. Style ca. 2 mm long, glabrous; stigma disk-shaped. Ovary glabrous. Fruit a drupe, dark purple to black, subglobose or ovoid, 7-10 mm long, glabrous; mesocarp thin; endocarp ovoid, 6-8 mm long, smooth to rugose, keeled.

Note: The fruits of this species frequently form enlarged, elongated fruit galls.