Shrub or small tree, to 10 m tall (often only 3-4 m on BCI); all parts except interior parts of flowers and upper blade surfaces densely pubescent, the trichomes +/- sessile, brown, stellate. Petioles 1-2.5 cm long; blades +/- lanceolate, acuminate, obtuse to cuneate at base, 5-25 cm long, 1.7-8 cm wide, glabrate above in age, usually serrate, pliveined, the veins 3-5. Inflorescences terminal, paniculate; flower buds pyriform; petals 5, glabrous, white (drying yellow), obovate, ca 5 mm long; stamens 10; filaments bent sharply below anthers; anthers with terminal pores, all directed to one side of the flower (as is the stigma), the connective thickened on upper side; style bent to one side' thickened at apex; stigma papillate. Berries densely stellate-pubescent, green to purple at maturity, to 8 mm diam; seeds minute, numerous. Croat 12281. Uncommon, collected only along the shore on the north side of the island. Flowers and fruits throughout the year. Southern Mexico to northern South America; Cuba. In Panama, ecologically variable; known from tropical moist forest in the Canal Zone, Bocas del Toro, San Blas, and Darién, from premontane wet forest in Chiriqui, Coclé, and Panama, from tropical wet forest in Veraguas (Atlantic slope), Colon, Panama, and Darién, and from premontane rain, lower montane moist, and lower montane wet forests in Chiriqui.