Small, frequently crooked, tree. Young twig, panicle, bud and stipule fulvous powdery pubescent, caducous on twig and petiole. Twig to 2.5 mm ø apically, terete, stout, becoming striated and papery flaked. Bud to 3 by 2 mm, slightly compressed, globose to ellipsoid. Stipule to 10 by 6 mm, oblong-elliptic, obtuse, cupped. Leaves 10-24 by 4-6 cm, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, coriaceous; base obtuse; acumen narrowly acute, 1-2 cm long; margin prominently revolute; nerves 12-15 pairs, distant, prominent beneath, at 60°-70°; tertiary nerves broadly scalariform; petiole 1-1.2 cm long, short. Panicle to 11 cm long, terminal or axillary, terete; unbranched or singly branched; bracteoles minute, fugaceous. Flower bud to 8 by 3.5 mm, lanceolate, relatively large. Calyx glabrous but for the shortly fimbriate margin; lobes broadly ovate, thickened, the inner 2 somewhat smaller, thinner, more constricted basally, shortly acuminate, the outer 3 obtuse. Petals brownish purple to dark yellow, linear, strongly contorted, inner margin shortly setose, puberulent on parts exposed in bud. Stamens 15, in 3 unequal verticils; filaments stout, gradually tapering; anther oblong, becoming ± reflexed at anthesis; appendage to connective as long as anther, sparsely ciliate towards apex. Ovary small, ovoid, glabrous; stylopodium glabrous, slender, tapering; style glabrous; stylopodium and style about twice length of ovary. Fruit subsessile; calyx glabrous, lobes subequal, c. 1 mm long and broad, broadly deltoid to ovate, rather thin, striated, not adpressed to the base of the nut but somewhat spreading with the apices turned slightly inwards. Nut to 4.5 by 1.7 cm, lustrous, glabrous, finely striated, ellipsoid to sub-ovoid or obovoid, often bent over to one side; style remnant short, acute.
Can be grown by seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.