It is an evergreen tree with a highly variable crown and small wedge shaped leaves. It is found throughout the tropical forests in the moist regions of the country.
The sand paper tree is a rigid and densely branched tree growing from 4 – 10 m in height. The leaves are oblong-obovate to sub-rhomboid, 4 – 12 cm long, very rough on both sides, with a finely toothed margin, the tip blunt or tapering to a point and the base narrowed. The male flowers are in rounded heads, short peduncled, greenish-yellow, or nearly white. The female flowers are stalked, usually in pairs, green; the sepals become larger after flowering and nearly enclose the fruit. The fruit is ovoid, long, pale yellow and the pericarp is soft and fleshy. The seed is ovoid and long. True to its name, the leaves of the sand paper tree are rough and are utilized for cleaning cooking utensils and as a substitute for sandpaper.