Deciduous trees, up to 15 m tall. Young shoots with appressed white hairs. Leaves 9-20 cm long, 4-8 cm broad, obovate, oblanceolate or ovate, acuminate, pubescent on both surfaces, base acute; stipules densely pale yellow silky hairy. Flowers appearing before leaves, terminal, 10-15 cm in diameter, cup shaped, fragrant; peduncle stout, 0.5 cm long, longer in fruit, densely silky hairy; bract densely silky hairy. Perianth 9, obovate-oblanceolate, 6-10 cm long, 2-4.5 cm broad, obtuse to acute, gland-dotted, the outer narrower, purple on the outside, white inside. Stamens about 1 cm long; filaments short, violet, gland dotted; connective prolonged into a violet apex; anthers adnate; dehiscence lateral. Gynoecium sessile; carpels free; style recurved; stigma concurrent with style; ovary l-ovuled. Fruit a collection of woody follicles, dark brown, dehiscing ventrally. Seed 0.75-1 cm long, white, oblong, convex on dorsal side, somewhat straight on ventral, dark brown, polished.

Distribution: A native of China, cultivated in Pakistan and elsewhere.