[1] It is a variable plant which may be short and shrubby or tall and erect, approaching 30 metres (98 feet) in height.

It has large oval-shaped leathery evergreen leaves up to about 20 centimetres (8 inches) long and 7 cm (3 in) wide.

The fruits are spherical and just under 1 cm (1⁄2 in) wide, hanging singly or paired in long, heavy bunches.

[4] Bunches of ripe fruits are commonly sold in Indonesia from trees grown in rural villages.

[5] The tender young leaves are sometimes eaten with rice in Indonesia and the Philippines, and the leaf shoots are used to make tea in China.