Trees, 6-25 m tall, ca. 50 cm d.b.h. Branches terete; branchlets red-brown, conspicuously compressed, longitudinally striate, glabrous. Terminal buds narrowly ovoid, large, up to 1.5 cm, glabrous. Leaves large, opposite or subopposite; petiole 1-2 cm; leaf blade black-brown or red-brown on both surfaces when dry, ovate to ovate-oblong, 12.5-40 × 7-21 cm, thickly papery, glabrous, abaxially densely glandular-punctate, midrib abaxially elevated, adaxially plane or slightly impressed, lateral veins 10-12 pairs, abaxially conspicuous, adaxially inconspicuous, reticulate veinlets conspicuous on both surfaces, base broadly cuneate to subrotund, unequal on sides, apex shortly acuminate, always oblique. Cymose panicles axillary, (2.5-)5-10.5 cm, lax, few flowered; rachises compressed, robust, yellow-brown pubescent; bracts caducous. Pedicels slender, 3-4 mm, yellow-brown pubescent. Flowers yellow-green, ca. 3.5 mm. Perianth segments ovate, ca. 3 mm, subglabrous outside, yellow-brown pubescent inside. Fertile stamens 9, ca. 1.5 mm; filaments pubescent, those of 3rd whorl each with 2 subsessile glands. Staminodes sagittate-triangular. Ovary pyriform, including style ca. 1 mm. Fruits green when immature, subglobose, up to 4 cm in diam., outside ferruginous-brown when dry, glabrous; fruiting pedicels robust, up to 6 mm in diam. at apex. Fl. Mar-Apr, fr. May-Nov.

● Sparse or dense forests along streamsides; 1100-1600 m. SE Yunnan.