A dense shrub or a small tree that grows up to 4,5 m high. The leaves are light green when young and very dark and shiny when mature. They are simple and alternate or sometimes nearly opposite; 2,5 - 8 cm long; oblong, oval or lance-shaped; pointed at the tip with toothed margins. The leaves are dark shiny above and paler below. The veins, sunken above and below, are conspicuous and covered with hairs. This tree is no relation of the American and Asian dogwoods (Cornus sp.) grown for their attractive bracts.

The inconspicuous flowers are greenish, blooming between November and January, in small clusters in the axils of the leaves. They are loved by the bees and other insects. The fruits are about the size of a pea (about 5 mm in diameter), roundish and clearly divided into three compartments. They appear between December and June. They are fleshy and green, turning red and then purple as they ripen.