Small trees or shrubs , deciduous, to 12 m, sometimes rhizomatous. Bark light gray, scaly. Twigs green or reddish, becoming gray, 1-2(-3) mm diam., glabrous. Buds reddish brown, ovoid, 2-3(-6) mm, apex obtuse, sparsely pubescent to glabrate. Leaves: petiole 3-10(-15) mm. Leaf blade obovate to narrowly obovate, (25-)40-80(-135) × 20-40(-80) mm, base cuneate to rounded-attenuate, margins moderately to deeply lobed, lobes rounded or spatulate, sometimes middle or distal 2 lobes compound, with secondary lobe on proximal side, divergent at right angles, forming cruciform pattern, secondary veins 3-5 on each side, apex broadly rounded; surfaces abaxially light green, with interlocking, erect, 2-4(-6)-rayed stellate hairs, velvety to touch, adaxially dark green, glossy, glabrous or sparsely stellate, not harsh to touch. Acorns 1-3, subsessile or on peduncle to 20 mm; cup deeply cup-shaped, basally rounded or constricted, (7-)9-12 mm deep × 12-20 mm wide, enclosing to 3/4 nut, scales loosely appressed, finely grayish pubescent; nut light brown, ovoid, 15-25(-30) × 9-13(-16) mm, glabrous. Cotyledons distinct.