Manglietia insignis seeds mature in November, commonly known as red lotus tree, an evergreen tree reaching a height of 30 m. Leaf blade narrowly ovate or elliptic, 10-26 × 4-10 cm. Flowers fragrant. Tepals 9-12; outer 3 tepals abaxially brown and adaxially reddish to purplish red, obovate-oblong, ca. 7 cm, curved outward; middle and inner tepals milky whitish pink, obovate-spatulate, 5-7 cm, erect, basal ca. 1/4 tapered and clawed. Fruit purplish red when fresh, ovoid-ellipsoid, 7-12 cm.