Trees to 10 m tall. Bark gray, rough. Branchlets glabrous, those of present year purplish brown, older ones dark brown; winter buds ovoid, scales numerous, ciliate along margin, glabrous outside. Leaves persistent; petiole purplish brown, 2.5-3 cm, slender; leaf blade abaxially gray-green and glaucous, adaxially dark green, oblong, ovate, or suborbicular, 6-8 × 2.2-3 cm, papery or subleathery, adaxially glabrous, lateral veins 8-10 pairs, margin entire, base rounded, apex acuminate or shortly acuminate. Flowers unknown. Infructescence corymbose, 3.5-4 cm, gray pubescent. Fruit purple-brown; nutlets strongly convex, ovoid, ca. 7 mm in diam., yellowish or gray pubescent; wing including nutlet 2.4-3 cm × 5-6 mm, wings spreading acutely. Fr. Sep.

● Mixed forests; ca. 1500 m. W Yunnan.