The native range of M. cumingii includes the Philippines, Sulawesi, and the Indonesian and Malaysian territories of the island of Borneo.

[2] M. cumingii is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing up to 25 m (82 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 45 cm (18 in).

The outer bark is grey to brown in colour and may be smooth or wrinkled, sometimes peeling away in patches.

The upper surface of the leaf is dark green and somewhat shiny with a paler underside.

Male plants produce inflorescences up to 21 cm (8.3 in) long, with sweet-scented white, cream, or yellowish flowers measuring up to 3.2–6.9 mm (0.13–0.27 in) in diameter and composed of 2–4 ovate sepals surrounding a cluster of 30–60 stamens.