Trees, 4-20 m tall, up to 50 cm d.b.h. Bark gray. Young branchlets purple-brown, slightly compressed, sulcate, slightly furfuraceous-puberulent or glabrate. Terminal buds ovoid, ferruginous-brown furfuraceous-puberulent. Leaves opposite or alternate; petiole 6-12 mm; leaf blade abaxially purplish brown, adaxially purple-brown, oblong, 9-15 × 2.5-5 cm, papery, somewhat furfuraceous when dry, midrib abaxially conspicuously elevated, adaxially impressed, lateral veins ca. 10 pairs, conspicuous on both surfaces, reticulate veinlets conspicuous on both surfaces, base broadly cuneate or subrotund, apex shortly acuminate with an obtuse acumen. Flowers unknown. Infructescences 3.5-6 cm, paniculate; peduncles 1.2-3 cm, always thickened, peduncles and rachises ferruginous furfuraceous-puberulent. Fruits ellipsoid, up to 3 cm, ca. 2.3 cm in diam., narrowed into a stalk at base, ferruginous furfuraceous-puberulent when young, dark brown and glabrous when old; fruiting pedicels swollen, up to 5 mm in diam. Fl. Feb-Mar, fr. Mar-Apr.

● Dense or sparse forests along humid streamsides or riverbanks; 700-1100 m. S and W Yunnan.