Trees. Branchlet black-brown when dry, densely lenticellate; lenticels slightly raised. Petiole 8-10 mm; leaf blade ovate-elliptic to lanceolate, 10-15 × 3.5-5 cm, nearly leathery, pilose and with tight brown, waxy scalelike trichomes, abaxially when young and on both sides along midvein, base broadly cuneate to acute and inaequilateral, margin entire or with 1-3 shallow teeth from middle to apex, apex long acuminate to caudate; midvein at least from base to middle adaxially raised; secondary veins 9-12 on each side of midvein. Rachis of inflorescences sparsely puberulent and with brown, stellate, waxy scalelike trichomes. Infructescences 5-7 cm; cupules clustered from middle to apex of rachis. Cupule globose, 6-7 cm in diam., splitting into 4 regular segments when mature, wall 3-4 mm thick; bracts spinelike, entirely covering cupule, 1-1.5 cm, base connate into bundles. Nut 1 per cupule, broadly conical, 2-3.5 cm in diam., densely pubescent; scar basal. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Oct-Nov of following year.

* Broad-leaved evergreen forests; circa 1400 m. SE Yunnan (Pingbian Miaozu Zizhixian)