Euclea undulata is a very sturdy, evergreen, dense and twiggy shrub to small tree reaching an approximate size of 7 m in height and very often with an equal width. The leaves are opposite to subopposite or may be arranged in whorls of 3 or 4, mostly towards the ends of br anchlets. Leaves are small, obovate to narrowly elliptical, stiff, leathery, dark green or blue - green above, paler below and sometimes rusty brown. The leaf apex is broadly tapering, or rounded to abruptly attenuate, base tapering, margin entire, finely ro lled under, con spicuously wavy, or almost flat. The bark is grey, scaly longitudinally fissured or cracked, particularly with age. The branchlets are twiggy, angular and densely leafy with short internodes. Flowers are small, whitish to cream, carried on u nbranched 5 - to 7 - flowered spikes, hairless but with rust - coloured stalked glands. The spikes are solitary in the leaf axils and are somewhat scented, appearing from December to May. Fruits appear from February and are single - seeded rounded berries, thinly fleshy, reddish brown becoming dark when ripe, in short sprays. In adult plants flowers and fruits commonly occur simultaneously, resulting in prolonged presence of fruit or flowers or both for most of the year.