Trees, to 30 m tall, d.b.h. to 45 cm, deciduous. Bark dark gray, smooth. Branchlets pilose when young, glabrescent, with scattered lenticels; second branchlets gray to brownish gray. Winter buds ovoid, glabrous. Petiole 0.6-1.6 cm, pubescent when young, glabrescent; leaf blade narrowly elliptic, oblong-elliptic, elliptic-lanceolate, or ovate-lanceolate, 5-11(-14) × 2-4(-5.5) cm, abaxially pilose when young but glabrescent with age or pubescent only in vein axils, adaxially pubescent when young but glabrescent, base ± oblique, margin doubly serrate, apex acuminate; secondary veins 12-22 on each side of midvein. Inflorescences fascicled cymes on second year branchlets. Perianth glabrous, 4-lobed. Samaras oblong-elliptic to oblong-obovate, 1.2-2 × 0.8-1.3 cm, glabrous except for pubescence on stigmatic surface in notch; stalk 1-2 mm; perianth persistent. Seed at center or slightly toward apex of samara. Fl. and fr. Feb-May.

* 1000-1500 m. Chongqing Zhixiashi, W Hubei.