Trees ca. 25 m tall; 1st-year branchlets, petioles, and rachis of infructescences yellowish brown to dark dirty brown tomentulose. Petiole 2-2.5 cm; leaf blade elliptic to obovate-elliptic, 10-18 × 4-6 cm, subleathery, abaxially puberulent and with early glabrescent, reddish brown, mealy, waxy scalelike trichomes, base broadly cuneate to rounded and often inaequilateral, margin entire, apex shortly acuminate to acute; midvein adaxially impressed; secondary veins 10-15 on each side of midvein. Female inflorescences 10-20 cm. Infructescences 10-16 cm; rachis slender. Cupule subglobose to broadly ellipsoid, 2.5-3 cm in diam., outside and bracts rusty brow puberulent and with lamellate, waxy scalelike trichomes, wall 1-2 mm thick and exterior visible through bracts; bracts spinelike, 4-8 mm, in separated bundles, usually connate at middle or apically, rarely connate basally. Nut conical, 1.4-1.8 × 1.2-1.4 cm, glabrous; scar basal, 1-1.2 cm in diam. Fl. Oct-Nov, fr. Oct-Nov of following year.

Broad-leaved evergreen forests; 1100-1600 m. SE Yunnan [N Vietnam]