This small, hardy evergreen tree is very common in Hawaii. Its dark green, glabrous leaves are pointed, elliptical, and are shiny on the upper surface, but rusty beneath. The greenish-yellow flowers are usually solitary, and have a peculiar odor. The fruit is large, varying in weight from 1 to 15 pounds. In shape, it is either oblong or conical and blunt. The rough, dark green, shiny skin, which is irregular in thickness, is studded with fleshy spines. The soft, white, cotton-like pulp is divided into sections, each containing a shiny, black seed, about half an inch long. These are very readily propagated.