Where found:

• Lowland forest, often on stream banks
  
• Up to 600 metres
  

• Canopy tree with a slender trunk, juvenile plant is shrubby with wide angled, spreading, intertangled branches (divaricating)
• Toothed margins, juvenile leaves are smaller (7-15mm x 5-10mm) than the thick, leathery adult leaves (2-10cm x 1-4cm)
• Trees are dioecious
• Fragrant, creamy white small flowers with five petals growing in panicles 4-8cm long, when the tree is in full flower (November to February) they almost obscure the foliage
• Shiny black drupe, 8-9mm long on female tree
• Grey bark
• Favourite food of bellbird and korimako
• Sometimes attacked by black fungus that occurs on beech trees