Carpinus mollicoma Hu

Trees to 10 m tall; bark dark gray. Branchlets dark brown, densely light rust-colored villous. Petiole 3-8 mm, densely rust-colored villous; leaf blade oblong-lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 5-6.5 × 2-2.5 cm, abaxially densely white or light rust-colored appressed villous, adaxially villous especially along midvein, base rounded or rounded-cuneate, margin irregularly or rarely doubly recurved setiform serrate, apex acuminate or caudate-acuminate; lateral veins 14-17 on each side of midvein. Female inflorescence 2.5-3 × 1-1.5 cm; peduncle 1-2 cm, densely white or rust-colored villous; bracts semiovate, ca. 1.5 cm × 5 mm, densely soft villous along reticulate veins on both surfaces, apex acuminate, outer margin remotely dentate, without basal lobe, inner margin entire, with small, inflexed basal auricle; veins 4 or 5. Nutlet broadly ovoid, ca. 4 × 3 mm, densely villous, prominently ribbed. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jul-Sep.

Sichuan (Emei Shan), E Xizang (Bomi Xian), SE Yunnan (Malipo Xian)

* Mixed forests on mountain slopes, sometimes on limestone; 1400-2900 m.