Trees, ca. 10 m tall. One-year-old branchlets terete, glabrous, conspicuously lenticellate. Leaves congested at apex of branchlet; petiole 1-1.5(-2) cm; leaf blade abaxially conspicuously glaucous, adaxially shiny, ovate-elliptic or lanceolate, rarely oblanceolate, 4-6 × 1-3.5 cm, leathery, glabrous on both surfaces, midrib abaxially elevated, adaxially impressed, lateral veins 5-7 pairs, somewhat distinct on both surfaces, veinlets slightly visible abaxially, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, apex acuminate or subacutely acuminate. Infructescences arising from lower part of newly sprouted branchlet, 4.5-7 cm, branched at upper part; peduncle 2.5-4.5 cm, glabrous. Fruit globose, ca. 9 mm in diam.; fruiting pedicel enlarged, glabrous; persistent perianth lobes slightly thickened, ovate-oblong, equal, 4-5 × ca. 1.8 mm, glabrous outside, pubescent inside, loose or clasping at base of fruit. Fr. May-Jun.

After publication of the family treatment for the Flora of China, this was treated as Machilus microphylla (H. W. Li) L. Li et al. (Plant Biodiversity and Resources 33: 160. 2011).

● Mountain valleys, open forests; 400-1800 m. SE Yunnan.