Evergreen shrub or small tree up to 8m. Bark grey to brown, smooth, young branches more or less distinctly 4-lined; young shoots are reddish. Leaves are ovate to elliptic, dark glossy green above and paler below, apex tapering, rarely rounded with a fine hair-line tip; if leaf is snapped and drawn gently apart very conspicuous latex threads are drawn out like fine silky strands. Flowers are white to creamy-green, about 6mm in diameter, petals curving back often tinged with red; stamens with conspicuous orange anthers.

Fruit is an almost spherical red or orange capsule about 10mm in diameter, splitting to release seeds which are covered by a red or orange aril.

The so-called latex threads are present in the branches, leaves, flowers and fruits if snapped and gently drawn apart, hence common name Silky Bark.