Rarely growing to over 15 m (49.2 ft) in height, typically less than 10 m (32.8 ft) with a trunk
diameter of 30 cm (1 ft); the tree has exfoliating orangish bark. The
ovate leaves are coriaceous, less than 9.6 cm (3.8 in) in length by 4.6 cm (1.8 in) broad, acute at the apex, pinnately veined, on short 2–5 mm (0.08–0.2 in) petioles; the colour ranges from dull green to light brown. The
apetalous flowers are arranged as short racemes on leafless twigs, sparsely clustered on less than 7 mm (0.28 in) peduncles. The
samarae are less than 22 × 13 mm (0.9 x 0.5 in), tapering at the base to a less than 8 mm (0.3 in) stalk, with
ciliate margins, and are shed during June and July in Mexico; in Honduras and El Salvador the tree flowers at the time of foliage change, just before the fall of the leaves of the previous season during the months of February and March, and fructifies from March to the end of April, coinciding with the emergence of the new season's leaves. ==Pests and diseases==