The mallow raisin or Grewia villosa has broadly elliptic to almost round, opposite leaves. They are hairy; more so on the lower surfaces. Three big veins and two smaller ones start at each leaf-base. The surface is puckered with the veins indented above, giving the leaf a coarse texture. The leaf petiole is quite long and hairy.

The flowers of G. villosa are cream coloured with a rusty pink tint. The sepals dominate, being markedly longer than the petals and straight, while the petals recurve. The anthers are yellow and the style is green. Flowering happens from spring to autumn (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997; www.worldagroforestry.org).