A weedy, deeply rooted, subherbaceous perennial 60-150 cm. high with the strong smell of garlic when broken. Leaves spirally arranged, simple, entire, oblong to elliptic, acute to acuminate at the tip, 20 x 7 cm. usually glabrous; Inflorescence a spikes up to 40 cm. long with minute hairs; 4 white perianth, becoming green in fruit; fruit an achene 6-8 mm long, flattened against the rachis of the inflorescence, developing two sharpely pointed, deflex bristles at the tip.

Tree 14-40 m high. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, elliptic to obovate, acute or acuminate at the tip, cuneate or rounded at the base, penninerved, 6-30 cm x 3.5-19 cm. upper surface glabrescent, lower surface glaucose; inflorescence axilary, compact or loose panicles; flowers perfect, greenish-yellowish, perianth segments 4-6 mm long; fruit a pear-shaped drupe, shiny, green or purplish, up to ca.15 cm long; seed fleshy, loose in the pericarp at maturity.