Trees to 12 m tall. Leaves even-pinnate, rarely odd-pinnate, 15-25 cm; petiole 1-2 cm, tomentose; rachis tomentose; leaflets 6-14, sessile to shortly petiolulate, blade elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, (2-)6-13 × (1.5-)2.5-4.5 cm, abaxially tomentose, base broadly cuneate to obtuse, margin irregularly serrate or entire, apex acute or shortly acuminate. Nutlets globose, ca. 3 mm, hispid; wings hispid at base, middle wing 2-2.5 cm, lateral wings ca. 1.3 cm. Fl. Feb, fr. Apr.

According to W. E. Manning (Bull Torrey Bot. Club 93: 34-52. 1966), this taxon displays a degree of intermediacy between Engelhardia serrata var. serrata, from Indonesia and the Philippines, and E. spicata var. colebrookeana, a taxon that also has golden yellow scales intermixed with hairs abaxially on the leaflets.

Forests on mountain slopes; 700-1000 m. SW Yunnan [Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam]