It is a shrub or tree reaching 13 meters (43 ft) in height. Its elliptical to oblong leaves are 8.5-25.5 by 3.7-9 centimeters. The tips of the leaves taper to a point, and their bases are blunt to rounded. The upper surface of the leaves are green to brown and hairless to slightly hairy, their lower surface is dark yellow-green to waxy blue and slightly hairy. The leaves have 10–18 pairs of secondary veins emanating from their midribs. Its petioles are 4-12.4 by 0.7-2.5 millimeters and slightly hairy. Its flowers occur in groups of 2–4 that are positioned on the stem, often opposite from leaves. The flowers are born on 12.2-38 millimeter long pedicels that are slightly hairy. The pedicels are attached to 1.1-5 by 1.2-3.6 millimeter peduncles that are slightly hairy. It has 3 triangular to oval, slightly hairy, sepals that are 0.8-4.2 by 1.2-2.6 millimeters. The tips of the sepals are pointed or taper to a point. Its flowers have 6 petals in two rows of three. The outer petals have a total length of 6.5-29 millimeters. The spoon-shaped basal portion is 1.4-4.9 by 2.5-5.9 millimeters with a slightly hairy upper side. The apical lance-shaped portion of the outer petal is 5-25.2 by 1–9.2 millimeters with a tapering tip. The inner petals have a total length of 3.4-10.9 millimeters. The basal portion is 1.6-6.1 by 16-5.6 millimeters and slightly hairy on its upper surface. The apical portion is 1.8-5.7 by 0.6-3 millimeters, pointed at the tip, and hairless on the upper surface. Its flowers have 135-156 stamen that are 0.9-2.8 millimeters long with anthers that are 0.7-2.4 by 0.2-0.6 millimeters. The tissue connecting the lobes of the anthers extends upward for 0.1-0.5 millimeter and is hairless. Its flowers have 67–109 carpels that are 0.8-2.8 by 0.1-0.5 millimeters with 0.2-1.4 millimeters long styles that are straight or slightly curved. Each elliptical fruit is 4.4-60 by 2–9.6 millimeters with a blunt base and a 0.4-1.1 millimeter long tapered tip. The fruit are smooth and covered in fine hairs or hairless at maturity. Each fruit is attached to a 1.9-3.9 centimeter long pedicel, which in turn is attached to a 1.1-5.1 centimeter long peduncle. The fruit have elliptical seeds that are 3.5-13.1 by 1.7-9.2 millimeters.[4]
The pollen of N. gabonensis is shed as permanent tetrads.[5]
