Trees to 10 m tall. Bark and branches grayish black, longitudinally striate. Branchlets glabrous. Petiole 1-1.5 cm, densely pubescent; leaf blade oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 7-18 × 2.5-5.5 cm, leathery, abaxially sparsely pubescent but denser along veins, adaxially glabrous except for pubescent midvein, midvein adaxially impressed, secondary veins 24-28 on each side of midvein, closely parallel, and prominent on both surfaces, base attenuate to obtuse, apex shortly acuminate. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, 1- or 2-flowered. Flowers ca. 3 cm in diam. Pedicel ca. 2.5 cm, puberulent or glabrous. Sepals broadly ovate, ca. 1.3 × 1.5 cm, outside puberulent, inside glabrous. Petals elliptic to ovate, 2.5-3.5 × ca. 1.6 cm, outside puberulent, inside glabrous; inner petals oblong, 2.2-2.7 × ca. 0.9 cm. Stamens oblong-cuneate, ca. 4 mm; connectives apically rounded, pubescent. Carpels many, oblong, ca. 2.5 mm, villous; ovule 1 per carpel, basal; stigmas capitate. Fruiting pedicel ca. 4 cm; monocarp stipes 2-4 cm, glabrous; monocarps purple, ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 × 1 mm, apex mucronate. Fl. May, fr. Oct.

Polyalthia pingpienensis is listed as Endangered (EN A2c) by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Version 2010.3; http://www. iucnredlist.org; accessed on 7 Oct 2010). The epithet has been given incorrectly as "pingpinensis" in some standard indices.

● Densely forested slopes; 1000-1500 m. S Yunnan.