Trees, deciduous, to 15 m. Bark gray and smooth or black and furrowed. Twigs grayish brown to red-brown, rarely somewhat yellowish or gray, 1.5-3 mm diam., glabrous. Terminal buds grayish brown to reddish brown, ovoid to subfusiform, (2.5-)3-7 mm, scales on apical 1/2 distinctly ciliate. Leaves: petiole 20-45 mm, glabrous. Leaf blade circular or broadly elliptic to obovate, 55-100 × 51-112 mm, base cuneate to truncate, often inequilateral, margins with 7-9 lobes and 12-35 awns, lobes oblong to distally expanded, apex acute to acuminate; surfaces abaxially light green or coppery green, glabrous or with small, axillary tufts of tomentum, adaxially shiny or glossy, glabrous, veins raised on both surfaces. Acorns biennial; cup goblet- to cup-shaped, rarely saucer-shaped, 5-11.5 mm high × 10-18 mm wide, covering 1/3-1/2 nut, outer surface glabrous to sparsely puberulent, inner surface glabrous except for a few hairs around scar, scales acute, less than 4 mm, occasionally tuberculate, especially at base of cup, tips appressed; nut broadly ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, rarely oblong, 12-18.5 × 8-14 mm, occasionally with faint rings of pits at apex, glabrous or sparsely puberulent, scar diam. 3.5-8 mm.
