Trees small, multistemmed, to 10 m tall, dioecious. Branches often reddish, smooth, glabrous. Petiole often reddish, 5-10 cm, pubescent; leaf blade 5-12 cm wide, abaxially glabrescent except bearded in axils, primary veins 5, base subcordate-truncate, margin sharply serrate, often doubly toothed, 3-or 5-lobed; basal lobes small or absent, lobes triangular, lateral lobes usually as long as central lobe, apex caudate-acuminate, acumen ca. 1 cm. Staminate inflorescence corymbose, axillary from leafless buds; pistillate inflorescence racemose, terminal or axillary from mixed buds. Flowers greenish, 4-merous, ca. 4 mm in diam. Sepals 4, oblong, 3-4 mm. Petals 4, ovate, shorter than sepals. Stamens 4-6, inserted outside disk. Ovary glabrous; style long, connate to ca. 1/2. Infructescence 12-20 cm. Samaras 2-3 cm; nutlets rugose; wings spreading at right angle. Fl. Mar-Apr, fr. Sep.
Open ravines on shady aspects at altitudes between 2,400-3,300 metres. Mixed forests at an altitude of 2,700-3,100 metres in Tibet.
Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.