Golden-colored hairs are found on the underside of the leaf. Male flowers are numerous in clusters on a narrow, long and erect stalk. Female flowers are short, a few are clustered at the base of the stalks bearing the male flowers. Male and female flowers are creamy-white, emitting a strong odor.
Fruits are globe-shaped nuts, broadest near the base which mature in two seasons.
The nut is enclosed in a spiny bur or bract as opposed to an acorn found in the genus Quercus and Lithocarpus . Golden Chinkapin is native to the mountain slopes of the Pacific Coast region in western Washington, Oregon, and extending into Central California. It also grows in valleys and sheltered ravines, normally at 1000-2000 m but may grow at an elevation of 3000 m in the San Jacinto Mountains in California. Soil conditions vary from dry rocky types to deep rich soils where they reach their greatest height - over 35 m. This genus contains only 30 species of trees and shrubs native to southern and eastern Asia, with 2 species in N. America.