Habit:  Tree up to 27-30 m tall and 70 cm diameter. 

Roots: Numerous stilt roots developed from the trunk and branches basis. Tap-root abortive.

Trunk & bark: Branching not distinctly sympodial. Bark rough, grey to rather black.

Leaves: Leaves simple, opposite, lower surface with scattered black dots; lamina broadly elliptic or ovate-oblong, apex abruptly acute or blunt with mucronate tip, base cuneate, (8-)11 - 18(-23) x 5 - 10 -13) cm, coriaceous. Midrib green beneath. Petiole 2 ½ - 5 ½ cm.

Inflorescences or flowers: Inflorescence axillary cymes 2-5(-12) flowered. Peduncles 2 ½-5 cm, pedicels 4-8 mm. Flowers white or cream, fragrant, small, bisexual, pedicellate; calyx 4-lobed, ovate; petals densely hairy along the margins, 9 – 10 mm long, lanceolate, fleshy, villose; stamens 6 – 8 mm long, 8 in number, 4 episepalous, 4 epipetalous, style short up to 1 ½ mm. 

Fruits: Fruit brown-green, elongate ovoid, and rugose base, 5-7 cm long.

Seeds /seedling: Vivipary. Propagule: seeds germinating in the fruit while the latter is still attached to the mother tree. Hypocotyl protruding from the fruit, cylindrical, strongly rugose 50 – 70 cm long, with a warty surface. Cotyledonary collar yellowish-green when mature. Propagules dispersed by currents.

Common and often gregarious along the intertidal banks of creeks and channels in sheltered mangrove areas under the estuarine influence.

Pollination by wind and insects.

Wood forms a potential source of tannin, besides being used as fuelwood, fence post, excellent building, and scaffolding poles. Also used in medicines, tannin from the bark is used medicinally for hematuria, diarrhea, dysentery, leprosy. Roots are used for fishing trap baskets, especially to catch prawns.

Wood exported to the Middle East, particularly from Lamu in Kenya.

Used in plantations along with littoral fishponds for protecting the dykes and banks by the extensive root system. Also used in plantations in mangrove restoration programs.