Small trees up to 12 m. high, the upper branches geniculate, glabrous or appressed-pubescent, reddish to grayish brown. Leaves subsessile to petiolate, the petioles canaliculate and up to 2 cm. long; blades ovate, usually 1.5-2 times as long as broad, 15-30 cm. long, 8-18 cm. broad, apically acute to acuminate, basally rounded, densely appressed-pubescent or glabrous, with mostly less than 18 pairs of lateral veins. Staminate inflorescences of fascicles closely approximated along the rhachises forming compact spikes up to 1 cm. broad, the spikes simply or racemosely disposed; perianth in one series of 3 linear and 3 narrowly deltoid tepals, 4-4.5 mm. long, connate for over half their length; filaments about 7 mm. long, adnate to the tepals for 2-3 mm.; anthers 1-1.5 mm. long. Pistillate flowers with pedicels 3-9 mm. long, the sepals becoming 35-50 mm. long, the wings com-monly only twice as long as the tubes; wings oblanceolate with rounded or subacute apices, with 1 conspicuous central vein from which several laterals arise, plicate just above the tubes; tubes more pubescent without than within; petals 15-30 (-40) mm. long, distally up to 3 mm. wide, usually adnate to the tubes for at least 6 mm., often auriculate or tubular near the peak of adnation; ovary trigonous; styles 3, 2-5 mm. long, their inner surfaces stigmatic. Achenes 9-12 mm. long, 5-8 mm. broad, dark yellowish brown; facies ovate, not sulcate.
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