Sauropus macranthus Hassk., Retzia 1: 166. 1855 & Hort. Bogor. Descr. 52. 1858; Sikdar & Maiti in J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 3: 228. 1982; Chakrab. & M.Gangop. in J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 20: 529, f. 6. 1996. S. macrophyllus Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 333. 1887, p. p.; Kanjilal et al., Fl. Assam 4: 173. 1940.

Shrubs, often bushy, 1 - 3 m high, entirely glabrous. Leaves ovate-oblong, ovate-elliptic, oblong-elliptic, oblong, oblong-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, rounded, obtuse to acute at base, acuminate at apex, 9 - 22 x 3 - 7.5 cm, chartaceous, often glossy; lateral nerves 6 - 10 (- 12) pairs; petioles 4 - 6 mm long; stipules subulate or linear, 3 – 7 mm long, white along margins. Male flowers: pedicels 3 - 10 mm long; calyx flat, star-shaped, 3 - 4.5 mm in diam.; segments narrowly triangular to oblong, 0.5 - 2 x 0.2 - 1 mm; anthers ca 0.2 mm long, horizontal. Female flowers: pedicels 5 - 20 mm long; calyx segments almost free, broadly oblong, spathulate, obovate to suborbicular, rounded at apex, 1.5 - 4 x 1 - 3 mm; ovary subglobose, 1 - 2 mm in diam.; styles ca 1.5 mm long, bifid. Fruits depressed-globose, 10 - 12 x 18 - 20 mm, shallowly 3-lobed, thin-walled; pedicels 1.5 - 6 cm long; seeds triquetrous, ca 10 x 7 mm.

Fl. & Fr. Dec. - April.

Distrib. India: Tropical or subtropical evergreen forests or semideciduous forests, up to 300 m altitude. West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram.

Bhutan, S. China, SE. Asia, scattered through Malesia to N. Australia.