Gomphandra tonkinensis Gagnepain; Stemonurus mollis (Merrill) R. A. Howard.

Shrubs or small trees, 2-7 m tall. Branchlets terete, pubescent. Petiole 1(-3) cm, densely yellow pubescent; leaf blade dark black or black-olivaceous, shiny when dry, oblong to obovate-oblong, 11-28 × 3-13 cm, papery or submembranous when young, abaxially densely light yellow pubescent, adaxially glabrous, sparsely hairy or densely yellow pubescent on midvein when young, lateral veins 8-10 pairs, prominent abaxially, usually conspicuous adaxially, base subrounded, apex acuminate to acute. Cymes opposite leaves, 4-5 cm, densely yellow pubescent, with peduncle 1-3 cm, with 4 obviously whorled branches. Flowers many, in cymose heads at apices of branches. Staminate flowers white, ca. 5 mm, with very short pedicel or subsessile; calyx forming a cup ca. 0.5 mm, truncate or 5-lobed, margin shortly ciliate; petals ca. 3 mm, united at base; stamens ca. 4 mm; filaments flat, apex pilose, ca. 1 mm wide, gradually thinner toward base; pili 1-1.5 mm, apex clavate; anthers ellipsoid, 0.7-1 mm; ovary undeveloped, conical, ca. 1 mm, glabrous. Pistillate flowers unknown. Drupe ellipsoid, ca. 15 × 7 mm; fruiting peduncle densely yellow villous. Fl. Mar-Jun, fr. Apr-Jul.

Forests, valleys, roadsides; 100-1100 m. SE Yunnan [N Vietnam].