Annual or perennial of 50 cm in height, occasionally with leaning branches. Elongated, ovate or punctate leaves from 3 to 7 cm long. Flowers in spikes of 1.5 to 3 cm in length emerging from the axils of the leaves. Pilose 2 mm capsules.

Erect annual herb 30-60 cm high. Stems pubescent, leaves elliptic, ovate or sub-rhombic, 2-4 cm x 1-2 cm, tip acute, base narrow, margins lightly dentate or entire, glabrous except on veins; inflorescence verticillate ca. 20 cm long; corolla white to mauve, 4-5 mm long; fruit an oblong, black, minutely verrucose, nutlet.

Tree dioecious 6-18 m high with a dense crown and aromatic wood.  Leaves simple, alternate, oblong-elliptic, acutely acuminate, pinnately veined, dark green shiny above, paler beneath, 5-15 cm x 2-7 cm; male inflorescences usually 1-10 flowered cyme, fragrant, pale yellow, female inflorescences a 1-3 flowered cyme, but usually 1-flowered, pale yellow; fruit a fleshy, smooth, yellow, sub-globose, drupe, 3-6 cm long with a circumferential, longitudinal ridge; seed brown, ovoid 1.5-4.5cm long covered with a lacinate, red aril.

Large perennial herb 2-9 m high with basal corm. Pseudostem composed of leaf sheaths forming the ‘trunk’ of the plant. Leaves blades oblong, entire 1.5-4 m x 0.7-1 m, petiole 30-90 cm long, rounded beneath, channeled above; inflorescences terminal, growing from the pseudostem, erect or drooping; flowers in flat clusters in the axils of spirally arranged broad, dark purple-coloured bracts, functionally unisexual, the lower female the upper male; mature fruit fleshy, cylindrical, 6-35 cm x 2.5-5 cm with greenish, yellow or reddish skin.