Trees ca. 20 m tall; young shoots, petioles, leaf blades abaxially, and rachis of inflorescences densely yellowish brown pilose. Petiole 0.5-1.5 cm, thick; leaf blade narrowly oblong to oblanceolate-oblong, 16-30 × 5-9 cm, firmly papery, base rounded to broadly cuneate and symmetric or oblique, margin apically serrate, apex abruptly acute; midvein and secondary veins adaxially impressed; secondary veins 16-25 on each side of midvein. Female inflorescences 10-25 cm; flowers 3 per cupule. Infructescence rachis 7-12 mm thick. Cupule irregularly globose, 3-3.5 cm in diam., outside pubescent, basally narrowed, wall 2-2.5 mm thick; bracts spinelike, basal bracts often transversely connected to ring but apically in bundles, 5-8 mm, pubescent. Nuts 2 or 3 per cupule, broadly conical, 1.6-2 × 1.6-2.2 cm, tomentose; scar basal, 1-1.5 cm in diam. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Oct-Dec of following year.

Very similar to Castanopsis ceratacantha but with denser cupule spines and larger leaves; it could be conspecific.

* Broad-leaved evergreen forests; 400-800 m. N Guangxi, S Guizhou