Leaves crowded toward branchlet ends, alternate; juvenile or lower leaves 10–40 x 1–7 mm, dark green or yellow-green, linear, entire or variously lobed, sometimes pinnate, both surfaces initially covered in rust-brown tomentum, soon glabrate; intermediate leaves 13–55 x 9–30 mm, lanceolate, narrowly linear, oblong or obovate, usually lobed or deeply divided both surfaces covered in rust-brown indumentum, soon glabrate; adult leaves 18–70 x 4–30 mm, oblong, oblanceolate, sometimes linear or linear-lanceolate, elliptic oblong, entire or sinuate, often lobed; margins flat to undulate.

Pedciels 5–9 mm, accrescent in fruit, covered in rust-brown indumentum, subtended by an approximate whorl of leaves, and 1–3 rust-tomentose caducous scales.

The combination of the narrowly columnar to openly virgate growth form, widely spaced whorls of slender branches, extremely variable juvenile, intermediate and adult foliage types (often present on the one mature tree), and rusty-brown tomentose branchlets, leaves, and capsules are unique to this species.

September - November Red/Pink, Violet/Purple July - August (may be present all year round) Easily grown from fresh seed which takes between 6 and 12 months to germinate.

While its current distribution suggests that it is biologically sparse, it is vulnerable to possum browsing and some populations were probably lost or reduced by kauri logging.

Recent observation sin some parts of Northland that had been regarded as mainland stronghold suggest that this species is now seriously threatened.