This is a close-headed tree of slender growth, attaining a height of from 30 to 50 feet. Its leaves are smaller than those of other chestnuts, generally from 3 to 7 inches long, and are either rounded at the base or reduced to a long, bristle-like point. The monoecious flowers are arranged in long catkins. The small burs have a thin, papery lining, and short, widely-branching spines. The nuts are large and glossy, usually three in a bur. They are somewhat inferior in quality, but are palatable when cooked.

To my knowledge there is but one tree of this variety growing in these Islands, and it is to be found on the slopes of Tantalus, where it was planted by the Department of Agriculture.