Tree to 50 m high, to 60 cm diameter. Bark fissured, reddish or brownish; inner bark laminated, reddish brown, fragrant; sapwood yellowish white. Twigs terete, 2–5 mm diameter, glabrous and striated, brownish. Terminal buds perulate, domed shaped, c. 5 by 4 mm, with many tiered scales which after falling leaving a collar of scars in the twig, scales covered with straight appressed hairs. Leaves alternate, penninerved, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, hairy pocketed domatia present at proximal ends of lateral veins, glabrous below; blade elliptic, ovate or obovate, 4–17 by 2–8 cm, base cuneate, narrowly cuneate or rounded, apex acuminate, acumen to 2 cm long; midrib slender, to 1 mm broad, flat above, raised below; lateral veins slender, flat above and smoothly raised below, inarching and diminishing towards the leaf margin; intercostal veins reticulate; petiole 1–2.5 cm long, slender, grooved above. Inflorescences axillary, and/or subterminal, lax, slender, paniculate-cymose with first order of branching, (3–)4–7(–8) cm long, glabrous. Flowers glabrous, yellowish when fresh, appearing with the new flush, drying reddish; pedicel slender, 2–3 mm long; hypanthium campalunate, c. 1 mm high, conspicuous; perianth lobes elliptic, c. 1.5 mm long, glabrous outside, straight hairy on the inside; fertile stamens 1–1.5 mm long, anthers 4-locular, square, filaments c. 1/2 the length of stamen; glands attached to short stalk at the base of filaments; staminodes sagittate, c. 1 mm long; ovary ellipsoid, c. 1.5–2 mm long, stigma subpeltate. Fruits globose, 5–6 mm diameter; cupule funnel-shaped, c. 1 mm high, c. 0.5 mm diameter, rim entire, glabrous; perianth lobes caducous; pedicel obconical, 9–10 mm long, 2–4 mm diameter at distal part, tapering to 1 mm diameter at base.
Sarawak (Kuching and Lundu districts), Sabah (Keningau, Kota Belud, Lahad Datu, Pensiangan, Ranau, Sandakan, Tambunan, Tawau and Tenom districts) and East Kalimantan. This species is widespread and is also distributed in India, China, Indochina and Thailand, Sumatra, Java and Peninsular Malaysia.
Lowland to montane forest at altitudes to 2000 m, often found in secondary vegetation.
The wood is used for general construction and furniture making.It is resistant to insect attack because of its pronounced and persistent smell. The bark is used in flavouring food, as tonic for menstruation and as scent for soap. The roots are used medicinally against fever, and applied after childbirth. (For more details see Burkill 1966).