Trees to 20 m tall; bark scabrous, dark brown; branchlets stout, gray-brown, lenticellate; buds compressed globose. Stipules subrounded, 2–2.5 cm in diam., glabrous; petiole 7–13 cm, glabrous; leaf blade 10–15 × 8–14 cm, abaxially yellow-green, glabrous, adaxially drying dark green, shiny, base subcordate or truncate, apex acuminate; veins 5, palmate, abaxially convex, adaxially distinct. Flowers opening before leaves, 1.5 × 0.5 cm, stellately pubescent, 3–4 cm in fruit, usually only upper 3 or 4 flowers developing into fruits; peduncle 3–6 cm. Filaments 4–5 mm; anthers red, 2–3 mm. Styles 1.5 mm. Capsules ca. 15 × 13 mm; pericarp 2–2.5 mm thick. Seeds black-brown, shiny, 4–6 mm. Fl. Mar–Jun, fr. Jul–Sep.

This species is listed as endangered by the IUCN.

Wet valleys, rain forests; 300--600 m. S Hainan.