Trees to 5 m tall, most parts densely rust-colored hirsute when young. Petiole 1-1.5 cm, stout; leaf blade obovate-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 20-41 × 5.5-11.5 cm, papery, adaxially glabrous or hirsute along midvein, secondary veins 17-22 on each side of midvein, base cuneate, apex caudate with a 1-3 cm acumen. Flowers solitary. Pedicel short. Sepals broadly ovate, ca. 8 × 6 mm, inside glabrous. Petals reddish; outer petals ovate-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, ca. 2.3 × 0.5 cm; inner petals ovate-triangular, ca. 1.5 × 0.5 cm, inside glabrous, base attenuate into a ca. 3 mm claw. Stamens oblong, ca. 2 mm; anther locule with transverse stripes; connectives apically rounded to subtruncate. Carpels cylindric-ovoid, ca. 4.5 mm, hirsute; ovules 2 per carpel, subbasal; style oblong, ± long as ovary, glabrous. Monocarps 4-12, connate, ovate-oblong, 2-3 × 0.6-0.8 cm, both ends acuminate. Seeds 1 or 2 per monocarp, yellowish, ovoid, ca. 1.5 × 5 mm, ribbed at bilateral plane. Fl. May-Sep, fr. Aug-Oct.

The bark of Goniothalamus donnaiensis is used as medicine for traumatic injuries and fractures.

Densely forested slopes; 200-800 m. SW Guangxi, S Guizhou, SE Yunnan [Vietnam].