Cryptocarya obtusifolia Merrill, Philipp. J. Sci. 21: 344. 1922, not F. Mueller ex Meisner (1864).

Trees, up to 18 m tall, to 30 cm d.b.h. Bark brown or gray-brown. Old branchlets slender, striate, lenticellate, densely rusty- or blackish brown pubescent; young branchlets ± angled, ca. 3 mm in diam., densely rusty pubescent. Leaves alternate; petiole robust, 1-1.5 cm, plano-convex, densely rusty pubescent; leaf blade greenish abaxially and yellow-green adaxially when dry, narrowly elliptic, 10-19 × 4.8-8 cm, thickly leathery, glabrous except rusty pubescent on midrib and lateral veins adaxially, pubescent throughout abaxially, lateral veins 7-9 pairs, lateral veins and midrib conspicuously elevated abaxially, slightly impressed adaxially, transverse veins conspicuous abaxially, ± impressed adaxially, veinlets laxly reticulate, conspicuous abaxially, base broadly cuneate, obtuse to subrounded, apex obtuse, mucronate, or incised, rarely acute. Panicles terminal and axillary, up to 14 cm, densely rusty pubescent, many branched, lower branches 5-6 cm; peduncles up to 6 cm; bracts and bracteoles broadly ovate, up to 3 mm, rusty pubescent on both surfaces. Pedicels less than 1 mm, densely rusty pubescent. Flowers yellowish green, ca. 3 mm. Perianth densely rusty pubescent outside but sparsely so inside; perianth tube turbinate, ca. 1.5 mm; perianth lobes ovate, ca. 1.5 mm, acute. Fertile stamens 9, ca. 1.5 mm; filaments villous, those of 3rd whorl each with 2 stalked suborbicular glands at base, others glandless; anthers 2-celled; cells of 1st and 2nd whorls introrse, those of 3rd whorl extrorse. Staminodes narrowly sagittate-triangular, shortly stalked. Ovary clavate, including filiform style ca. 2.5 mm; stigma inconspicuous. Fruit ellipsoid, 10-12 × 6-8 mm, black when dry, 12-angulate. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Aug-Jan of next year.

The wood is finely grained, heavy, and durable.

● Evergreen broad-leaved forests in valleys, streamsides, riverbanks; 200-1100 m. Hainan.