The habit of this species varies markedly with its situation. In exposed situations, such as cliffs, it assumes a
prostrate habit, while in more sheltered areas it can grow as a small tree up to 8 metres in height. It has thick and very glossy leaves which vary considerably in size, depending on exposure to the elements. The leaf margins are recurved, occasionally to the extent that the leaf may be cylindrical in cross-section. The shiny leaves aid its survival near coastal locations.
C. repens is
dioecious. Flowers are produced in spring and summer, with the male flowers appearing in dense, compound clusters, and the female flowers in smaller clusters. Male flowers have a funnel shaped
corolla that is 5 mm long, with lobes equal to the tube. Female flowers have a short
calyx, and a tubular corolla 3 mm long, with lobes shorter than the tube. Female plants produce orange-red ovoid
drupes, which are about 8 mm in diameter and 10 mm in length. ==Distribution==