Tree 9-24 m, c. 40 cm ø; buttresses concave, ⅔ m tall; bark whitish grey, scaly, lenticellate. Branchlets initially densely fulvous-tomentose by adpressed, minute stellate hairs, later glabrous, sturdy, greyish brown, with numerous large lenti-cels; terminal buds ovoid, 2-3 by 2 mm, scales ovate. Leaves coriaceous, 20-26 by 6-9 cm (index 2.6-3.3), broadest at or below the middle; above glabrous greyish green, dull, underneath with a thin cover of pale green, adpressed, stellate hairs; base acute, top acute, margin recurved; midrib broad, slightly prominent on both sides; nerves 12-15 pairs, flat on both surfaces, parallel, at an angle of 45-60°, arcuating but not anastomosing towards the margin; reticulation fine, irregular, obscure; petiole 1½-2 cm, 3-5 mm ø, terete or adaxially flat, corky. Fruiting rachis sturdy, c. 10 cm, ½-1 cm ø, densely lenticellate, carrying numerous, clustered cupules. Young cupule sessile, in clusters of 2-3, or rarely solitary, blackish brown. Young fruit: staminodes rudimentary, styles 3, terete, 2 mm, recurved. Ripe cupule sessile, cup-shaped, 1-1½ cm long, 2 cm ø; rim thin, covering ⅓ part of the fruit; wall woody, densely dark reddish brown tomentose on both sides; scales minute, adpressed, whitish, set in obscure concentric rows. Ripe fruit cylindrical, 2½ cm long, 1½-1¾ cm ø, densely dark reddish brown tomentose by adpressed simple hairs, top rounded-apiculate, base truncate, scar deeply concave, c. 1 cm ø; wall woody, c. 2 mm thick, for the greater part free from the cupule; cotyledons flat-convex.
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