Trees, 8-12 m tall, d.b.h. 15-20 cm, deciduous. Bark gray to grayish white, exfoliating in irregular flakes. Branchlets brown to grayish brown, glabrous, unwinged, sometimes with a corky layer. Winter buds ovoid-orbicular to ± orbicular; bud scales ± pubescent, margin ciliate. Stipules linear to lanceolate, pubescent, caducous. Petiole 3-8 mm; leaf blade obovate, 5-10 × 2.5-5.5 cm, abaxially ± scabrous and densely pubescent when young, adaxially scabrous and densely hirsute or with trichome scars, base ± oblique, margin simply or doubly serrate with blunt teeth, apex caudate to cuspidate. Flowers from mixed buds, appearing at same time as leaves. Perianth campanulate, 6-lobed, pubescent. Samara usually scattered near base of branchlets, orbicular to ± orbicular, 2.5-3.5 × 2-2.7 cm, densely pubescent, apically concave; stigmas beak-shaped, densely pubescent; stalk 3-4 mm, densely pubescent or with elongate glandular hairs; perianth persistent. Seed at center of samara. Fl. Mar-Apr, fr. Apr-May.

This species is cultivated in Beijing and Liaoning (Xiongyuecheng).

* Mountain ravines; ca. 1200 m. Hebei, Henan, Nei Mongol, Shanxi.