Evergreen, large. Branches terete, striate, lenticellate. Stems brown. Bud bracts persistent, scaly. Petiole 7--20 cm, slightly thick; leaf blade palmately 3--7-foliolate; petiolules 2--5 cm; leaflets obovate-oblong to oblong, sometimes elliptic to lanceolate, 6--14 × 4--6 cm, leathery to subleathery, abaxially dull pale green when dry, adaxially dark green and shiny, base cuneate, margin slightly revolute, apex acuminate to acute; midvein adaxially impressed; secondary veins 7--9 pairs; tertiary veinlets and secondary veins abaxially slightly prominent, adaxially inconspicuous. Inflorescences of 2--4 corymbose racemes; peduncle 2.5--5 cm. Flowers several, pale greenish white or pale purple. Male flowers: outer 3 sepals narrowly obovate, 2--2.2 × 0.8--1 cm, base rounded to truncate, apex obtuse; inner 3 sepals linear-oblong, as long as outer sepals but narrower. Petals ovate to suborbicular, ca. 1 mm in diam. Stamens straight, ca. 1.5 cm; filaments terete, ca. 1 cm; connective apical appendage small, apiculate. Pistillodes subulate, ca. 3 mm. Female flowers: outer 3 sepals broadly ovate, thick, 2--2.5 × 1.2--1.6 cm, base rounded, apex acute; inner 3 sepals ovate-lanceolate, narrower than outer ones. Petals ovate to suborbicular, ca. 1 mm in diam. Staminodes minute, subsessile, locules incurved. Carpels lanceolate-terete, ca. 1.2 cm. Stigma conical, oblique. Fruit often in pairs, oblong, 6--9 cm. Seeds numerous, black. Fl. Apr--May, fr. Jul--Sep.

Mixed forests, mountain slopes, scrub along valleys; 1100--3000 m. Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan [Vietnam].