It is native to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, growing in forests or thickets on mountain slopes or in valleys.

Leaf blade ovate, elliptic, obovate-elliptic, oblong, or oblong-lanceolate; leathery to thinly leathery, pale green or glaucescent green and reddish brown glandular punctate.

The fruit is ellipsoid 2–3.5 cm in diameter and contains long obovate seeds, with a fleshy red outer layer.

Flowering occurs from October to March, with fruit appearing from July to September.

Several varieties have been recognized primarily based on leaf differences: A. fragrans var.