Description. Epiphytic shrubs, 1 – 2 m tall, to 20 m high in trees; stems terete, glabrescent, occasionally (in eastern Sabah, see discussion) sparsely pubescent with weak-walled transparent simple uniseriate 2 – 10 - celled trichomes when young, often markedly zig-zag; new growth glabrous or occasionally pubescent with transparent, simple uniseriate 8 – 10 - celled trichomes to 0.2 – 1 mm long; bark of older stems glabrous or glabrescent, papery-white, markedly exfoliating. Sympodial units difoliate, the leaves geminate, the leaves of a pair differing in size and occasionally in shape, the minor leaves often apparently absent. Leaves simple; blades of major leaves 7 – 21 cm long, 2 – 8.4 cm wide, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, widest in the middle, concolorous and shiny, membranous or somewhat fleshy; adaxial surfaces glabrous or occasionally sparsely pubescent with simple uniseriate trichomes like those of the stems, these denser along the veins; abaxial surfaces glabrous to sparsely pubescent with simple uniseriate trichomes like those of the stems, if the lamina glabrous the trichomes confined to the principal veins and midrib; principal veins 5 – 6 pairs, glabrous or pubescent, the tertiary venation not visible; base acute to attenuate; margins entire; apex acute to acuminate; petiole 0.7 – 2 cm long, fleshy, glabrous or sparsely pubescent with simple uniseriate trichomes like those of the new growth; blades of minor leaves 1 – 3 cm long, 1 – 2.5 cm wide, elliptic to orbicular; surfaces like those of the major leaves, the minor leaves often deciduous; principal veins of minor leaves 3 – 4 pairs; base acute to rounded-truncate; margins entire; apex obtuse or somewhat rounded; petiole of minor leaves 0.5 – 0.7 cm long, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Inflorescences axillary, in fascicles or on a short rhachis to 0.5 cm long, with 3 – 8 (16) flowers, glabrous; pedicels at anthesis 1 – 1.5 cm long, ca. 0.5 mm in diameter at the base, ca. 1 mm in diameter at the apex, spreading, glabrous and shiny or occasionally pubescent with simple uniseriate trichomes like those of the stems, articulated at the base; pedicel scars tightly packed and overlapping on the short rhachis, somewhat corky. Buds ellipsoid, the corolla completely included in the calyx tube when young, ca. halfway exserted before anthesis, the calyx appendages only apparent in bud. Flowers 5 - merous, cosexual. Calyx tube 1.5 – 2.5 mm long, 2.5 – 3.5 mm wide at the mouth, obconical, glabrous or occasionally pubescent with simple uniseriate trichomes like those of the pedicels, with 5 small appendages arising ca. 0.5 mm below the hyaline rim and only visible in bud, the appendages ca. 0.2 mm long, triangular nubs, usually perpendicular to the calyx tube, glabrous or with a few trichomes. Corolla 0.9 – 1 cm in diameter, white or pale violet (lilac), stellate, lobed nearly to the base, interpetalar tissue absent but a thin edge of tissue apparent on lobe margins, the lobes 4 – 4.5 mm long, 1.2 – 2 mm wide, spreading, glabrous on both surfaces, the tips and margins densely papillate, the tips cucullate. Stamens equal; filament tube minute; free portion of the filaments ca. 1 mm long, glabrous; anthers 2 – 2.3 mm long, 1 – 1.5 mm wide, ellipsoid and somewhat tapering, yellow, glabrous, poricidal at the tips, the pores tear-drop shaped and edged with white in dry material, lengthening to slits with age. Ovary conical, glabrous; style 4.5 – 5 mm long, exserted from the anther cone, glabrous; stigma prominently capitate, the surfaces minutely papillate. Fruit a globose berry, 0.5 – 0.8 cm in diameter, green when immature, becoming white, then orange or red when mature, the pericarp glabrous, thin, shiny, and transparent; fruiting pedicels 1.5 – 2.2 cm long, 0.5 – 1 mm in diameter at the base, ca. 2 mm in diameter at the apex, spreading; fruiting calyx not accrescent or expanding, but remaining a cup beneath the berry, 2 – 2.5 mm long, 3 – 4 mm wide at the mouth. Seeds 2 (- 4) per berry, 3.5 – 6 mm long, ca. 2.5 – 4.5 mm wide, ovoid-reniform, pale straw-colored, the surfaces deeply pitted, the testal cells sinuate in outline and with prominent “ hairy ” appendages on the thickened lateral walls. Stone cells absent. Chromosome number not known.
