Deciduous tree, up to 40 m high, 17 cm diam., with conspicuous stilt-roots. Leaves elliptic or elliptic-oblong to obovate, ca 25-35-nerved, 15-30 by 10-20 cm, with rounded to slightly emarginate apex, obtuse to rounded or cordate base, and entire to slightly undulate-dentate margin. Petiole 4-10 cm long. Inflorescence a (3-)5-10(-15)-flowered composed raceme, forming a loose cluster. Flowers appearing with the leaves, ca 8 cm diam. Sepals 5, broadly elliptic, ca 20-25 by 16-20 mm. Petals yellow, ca 35 by 16 mm. Stamens ca 400-440, all straight in bud, those of the outer whorl ca 11 mm long, those immediately within this whorl 5 mm long, the size gradually increasing towards the centre of the flower to 9 mm in the innermost ones. Carpels 9-10, ca 6 by 1½ mm, with 5-6 mm long styles, each with 50-70 ovules. Fruit indehiscent, greenish yellow, slightly flattened-globular, ca 35 mm diam, 30 mm high including the enclosing sepals, which are up to 45 by 42 mm, at the base 6 mm thick. Carpels 16 by 8½ mm, 1-3-seeded. Seeds 3½ by 2½ mm, with a rudimentary, ca 0.2 mm long aril.
In primary forests at low altitude, on wet to rather dry soil. The stilt-roots are also developed when the tree grows in a never-flooded habitat. As far as can be derived from the few collections, the flowering-and fruiting-time agree with those of Dillenia eximia MIQ.
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