It is an oak native to China (Sichuan and Yunnan), northern Thailand and Vietnam, growing at altitudes between 800 and 2,600 metres (2,600 and 8,500 feet).

The buds are small, globular with pointed apex, reddish and white ciliated edge.

[4] The leathery oval leaves measure 5 to 12 centimetres (2 to 4+1⁄2 inches) long by 2.5 to 6 cm (1 to 2+1⁄4 in) wide, and are evergreen (remaining on the plant over winter).

They have a cuneate (wedge-shaped) or slightly rounded base, and the upper surface is smooth and shiny, while the underside is densely covered with yellowish fur.

[4] This species was described in 1899 and dedicated to Adrien René Franchet, a botanist at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris.