Medium-sized or relatively large tree. Young twig, leaf bud, petiole and nervation at first shortly yellowish buff pubescent, caducous on all but bud. Twig to 3 mm ø apically, stout, terete, becoming smooth but for the minute pale elliptic warty lenticels; stipule scars subamplexicaul or amplexicaul, pale, prominent. Bud 5-10 by 2-4 mm, narrowly ovate, acute, falcate. Stipule unknown. Leaves 8-13 by 5-8 cm, thickly coriaceous, elliptic; undersurface golden lepidote at first, becoming mauve-grey; base obtuse or broadly cuneate; acumen to 5 mm long, short, broad; nerves 13-16 pairs, prominent beneath, curved towards margin, at 45°-55°; tertiary nerves slender, densely scalariform, diagonal to nerves; midrib stout, prominent, sharply ridged beneath, obscurely depressed above; petiole 2-2.5 cm long. Panicle to 12 cm long, terminal or axillary, terete, densely pale tawny pubescent; singly branched, branchlets bearing to 12 distichous flowers. Bracts and bracteoles unknown. Flower bud to 7 by 3 mm, lanceolate, subacute. Calyx shortly pubescent outside, glabrous within; 3 outer lobes narrowly ovate, obtuse; 2 inner lobes c. 2/3 as long, broader, ovate, acute, constricted at base. Petals oblong, obtuse, shortly pubescent on parts exposed in bud. Stamens 15, in 3 verticils, the inner 5 somewhat longer than the rest; filaments exposed in bud, broad at base, tapering abruptly, filiform distally; anthers broadly oblong; appendage to connective 2-3 times length of anther, slender. Ovary and stylopodium pyriform, shortly pubescent; style as long as ovary, filiform, glabrous. Fruit calyx puberulent at base, otherwise glabrous; 3 longer lobes to 7 by 1.5 cm, spatulate, obtuse, only slightly tapering above the to 1.5 by 1.5 cm shallowly saccate thickened base; 2 shorter lobes to 3.5 by 0.6 cm, narrowly oblong, similar at base. Nut to 1.6 by 1 cm, ovoid, shortly acute, densely shortly pubescent.