Antidesma is a variable genus which may be short and shrubby or tall and erect, approaching 30 metres in height. It has large oval shaped leathery evergreen leaves up to about 20 centimetres long and seven wide. The flowers have a strong, somewhat unpleasant scent. The staminate flowers are arranged in small bunches and the pistillate flowers grow on long racemes which will become the long strands of fruit. The fruits are spherical and just under a centimetre wide, hanging singly or paired in long, heavy bunches. They are white when immature and gradually turn red, then black. When they are still white they have sour and astringent taste, sour taste when they are red and have sweet and sour taste when they are black.

Antidesma vogelianum forms a small tree up to 5 meter tall with long slender arching branches and pale bark. It has shiny green leaves which are pale below. During spring it bears pendulous spikes of small creamy flowers. These are followed by shiny red fruits. The fleshy and juicy fruits are edible with a sour to bitter sweet taste.