Trees to 25 m tall; trunk to more than 50 cm d.b.h.; bark lacteous. Older branches yellow-brown; juvenile branchlets russet or green-brown, usually angled. Winter buds erect, dark brown, long conical, viscid. Leaves on short branchlets with petiole 2-6 cm, at least sparsely pubescent apically; leaf blade broadly ovate, rhombic-ovate, or ovate, 4-9 × 3.5-7 cm, abaxially pale, usually with sparse hairs, adaxially dull deep green, pilose along veins, margin with incurved, glandular teeth, apex apiculate-acuminate. Sprouts with leaf blade obovate or obovate-elliptic, on long shoots broadly ovate or ovate-orbicular, apex slightly acute or shortly acuminate. Male catkin ca. 5 cm; bracts white villous adaxially. Male flower: stamens 12-24. Fruiting catkin 10-12 cm; rachis pilose. Capsule ovoid, 6-7 mm, 2-or 3(or 4)-valved, shortly stipitate. Fl. Apr, fr. Jun.