Governor's Plum is a small tree or large shrub, usually 3-5 m tall, sometimes 10 m. Bark is usually pale, grey, powdery, may become brown to dark grey and flaking, revealing pale orange patches. Vegetative parts may be smooth or densely velvety. Leaves are red or pink when young, variable in size, oval to round, up to 12 cm, margin toothed, becoming leathery. Leaf stalk is up to 2 cm long. Flowers are unisexual or occasionally bisexual. Male flowers are borne in 0.5-2 cm long racemes in leaf axils. Sepals are 5-6, broadly ovate, tip pointed to rounded, 1.5-2.5 mm long and broad. Female flowers occur in short racemes or solitary. Styles are 4-8, central, fused at the base, spreading, up to 1.5 mm long. Fruit is round, reddish to reddish-black or purple when ripe, fleshy, up to 2.5 cm across, with persistent styles. The genus name Flacourtia honours E. de Flacourt (1607-60), a governor of Madagascar.