Herb of up to 4 m in height. Stem tightly covered by the base of the leaves, which are arranged in a spiral, leaving a scar on the stem when they die. Narrow elliptic leaves, 10 to 25 cm long and 2.5 to 6 cm wide, hairless to sparsely hirsute on the beam, glabrous to densely pubescent on the underside. Globose to ovoid inflorescence, 3 to 8 cm long and 3 to 4 cm wide, petals from yellow to glabrous red. Fruit, subglobose capsule of up to 15 mm in diameter.

Shrub up to 7 m high, thin trunk, straight. Short-petiolate leaves, elliptic to oblong, shiny, subcoriaceous, from 7 to 15 cm. Flowers in axillary groups, fragrant, usually sessile; truncated calyx; white petals. Oblong to globose berry, 10 to 16 mm, red when ripe.