Small trees, to 5 m tall. Branchlets gray puberulent when young. Leaf blades dimorphic: those of young trees and coppiced branches with petiole up to 24 cm, blade palmately 5-divided, lobes nearly linear, ca. 16 × 11 cm, base peltate, apex acuminate; those of mature trees with petiole 1-1.5 cm, blade oblong-obovate in outline, usually irregularly lobed, 6.5-8.5 cm, leathery, abaxially densely yellowish brown stellate puberulent, adaxially glabrous, base cordate or obliquely cordate, apex truncate with obtuse acumen; lateral veins 5-6 per side of midrib. Flowers unknown. Capsule ovoid-ellipsoid, obscurely 5-angular and with 5 nearly flat foveolate spots, ca. 4 cm, densely brown puberulent, base narrowed into ca. 6 mm stipe, apex obtuse. Seeds ca. 2.8 cm including wing, wing brown, apex obtuse.

Pterospermum yunnanense is classified as "Critically endangered" in the IUCN Red List because there are few mature individuals and regeneration is poor.

● Forests on limestone cliffs and summit ridges; 1400-1600 m. S Yunnan.