It is a deciduous tree growing to 30 m tall. The foliage is similar to Pterocarya, with pinnate leaves 20–25 cm long with five to eleven leaflets, the terminal leaflet present; the leaflets are 5–14 cm long and 2–6 cm broad. The flowers are catkins; the male (pollen) catkins are produced in clusters (not singly as in Pterocarya), the female catkins 25–30 cm long at maturity, bearing several small winged nuts with a circular wing 2.5–6 cm diameter right round the nut (instead of two wings at the sides as in Pterocarya.