Small trees, ca. 5 m tall. Bark blackish brown. Branchlets subterete, thick, densely yellowish brown tomentose. Buds yellowish brown tomentose. Petiole thick, 1-2 cm, densely yellowish brown tomentose; leaf blade broadly oblanceolate or oblanceolate, 15-45 × 4.5-11.5 cm, thinly leathery, abaxially densely or sparsely pubescent and extended villous on veins, adaxially first yellowish brown pubescent or only hairy along veins, becoming glabrous after, midrib thick, adaxially impressed, lateral veins 22-28 pairs, curved, abaxially conspicuous, anastomosing near margin, base shallowly cordate, asymmetrical on both sides. Panicles to 23 cm, slightly branched on top of peduncle, patently yellowish brown tomentose; bracts linear-lanceolate, ca. 8 mm, hairy. Filaments hairy, those of 3rd series very compressed at base, to 2 mm broad, glands shortly stipitate. Staminodes triangular, stipitate, hairy. Ovary obovoid, apex yellowish brown pubescent. Fruit obovoid-oblong or obovoid, ca. 3.2 × 1.8 cm, apex with mucro, upper part yellowish brown pubescent; fruiting pedicel ca. 6 mm; persistent perianth lobes oblong-ovate, to 1.5 × 0.5-0.6 cm, very thickened ligneous, densely yellowish brown pubescent on both surfaces, clasping at base of fruit. Fl. Apr-May, fr. Jun-Jul.

Mountain valleys, mixed forests; lower elevations. SE Yunnan [N Vietnam].