Quercus variolosa Franchet, J. Bot. (Morot) 13: 156. 1899; Lithocarpus chienchuanensis Hu; L. hui A. Camus; L. leucostachyus A. Camus; Pasania hui (A. Camus) Hu; P. variolosa (Franchet) Schottky; Synaedrys variolosa (Franchet) Koidzumi.

Trees to 20 m tall. Branchlets blackish when dry, sparsely lenticellate; lenticels grayish brown. Petiole 1(-1.5) cm; leaf blade broadly ovate, ovate-elliptic, or lanceolate, 6-15(-24) × 3-5(-7) cm, leathery to thickly papery, abaxially with thick adherent, waxy scalelike trichomes and ± glaucous when dry, base subrounded to broadly cuneate, margin entire, apex acuminate and usually falcate; secondary veins 6-10 on each side of midvein, adaxially ± impressed, fusing near margin; tertiary veins abaxially inconspicuous to slender, evident. Male inflorescences solitary in axils of leaves or paniculate. Female inflorescences usually terminal clusters, 3-6(-10) cm; rachis stout, usually twisted, with tawny scalelike trichomes; cupules in clusters of ca. 3. Infructescences 4-7 cm; rachis ca. 3 mm thick. Cupule cupular, 0.6-1.8 × 1.5-2.5 cm, usually broadest slightly apically from middle, enclosing 1/2 to most of nut, wall 1-1.5 mm thick; bracts reddish to dark grayish brown, basal bracts usually united in continuous or interrupted rings and obscurely broadly ovate or multilateral, apically triangular and small. Nut depressed globose, 1-2 × 1.2-2.6 cm, glabrous, wall ca. 0.5 mm thick; scar covering 1/5-1/3(-1/2) of nut, convex but concave at margin. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Jul-Sep of following year.

Mixed mesophytic forests, usually in association with Picea, Abies, and subalpine Quercus; 2500-3000 m. SW Sichuan, NW Yunnan [Vietnam]