Marlea begoniifolia Roxburgh var. alpina C. B. Clarke in J. D. Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 2: 744. 1879; M. alpina (C. B. Clarke) Brandis.

Trees deciduous, to 12 m tall. Branchlets ascending; internodes obscurely angular. Petiole 3.5-5 cm; leaf blade suborbicular, ovate, or oblong-ovate, 6-16(-20) × 5-13 cm, papery, abaxially sparsely hairy, adaxially glabrous, base rounded, subtruncate, or cordate, margin wavy, apex acuminate. Inflorescences axillary, 3-flowered, 4-10 cm. Pedicels ca. 1 cm, to 3 cm in fruit. Calyx lobes 6-8. Petals 6-8, linear, 1.8-2.3 cm. Stamens 6-8; filaments 5-6 mm, glabrous. Drupe ellipsoid, ca. 20 × 8-9 mm. Seed 1. Fl. Jan-Aug, fr. Oct-Nov.

Forests; 1800-3000 m. S Xizang, W Yunnan [Bhutan, N India, N Myanmar, E Nepal].