Small tree, 10-20 m by 15-40 cm. Branchlets slender, glabrescent; pith not very compact, with some large peripheral vascular strands. Stipules very caducous, inserted at the base of the petiole, or on the petiole up to 1 cm from the base, subulate, 2-5 mm. Leaves 0-5-jugate. Leaflets (ob)ovate to lanceolate, (3-)5½-16 by (1.25-)2¾-5.5 cm, stiff chartaceous, upper side glabrous except the midrib, lower side with scattered to crowded papillae, sometimes each of them provided with a soft hair; base cuneate; margin entire; apex subabruptly narrowly acute-acuminate; nerves 6-14 pairs (angle 50-60°), gradually curving, more or less distinctly arching at some distance from the margin. Inflorescences glabrous or slightly pubescent, either in the upper leaf-axils, narrowly paniculate, few-flowered, or together forming one lax terminal panicle, in the latter case up to 30 cm long, main branches up to 15 cm, laxly paniculate, the ♂ ones with 15-20 flowers, female ones with fewer flowers. Flowers 8-9 mm long, rather slender, nearly glabrous outside. Calyx 4-5 mm high. Stamens glabrous, in ♂ flowers 8 mm long, connate for 0.5-2.25 mm, in female flowers 4-5 mm, connate for 2 mm. Disk 1.5 mm high, fimbriate, in ♂ flowers cupular, rather thick, in female flowers thinner and slightly 6-undulate. Pistil glabrous, in ♂ flowers absent. Infructescences shorter and more compressed than the inflorescences, main branches with 3-6 fruits each; calyx saucer-shaped, 3-lobed, 6-7 mm diam. Fruits elliptic, tapering specially to the apex, trigonous in cross-section, 2.5-3 by 1.1-1.5 cm, glabrous; pyrene rounded 3-angular, smooth; lids ½-1½ mm thick, bony. Seeds 1(-2), sterile cells compressed, linear.
In old forests, mostly at high altitudes (1000-1600 m), rarely in the lowlands. Fl. Sept.-March, fr. Jan.-Dec.
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