Castanopsis oviformis is familiarly known as berangan pipit by the Iban ethnic. This evergreen tree can reach a height of 30 m and 50 cm diameter. The bark is cracked or scaly. Both bark and its inner bark are in brown colour. The sapwood has yellowish colour to it. Its stipules are caducous (easily detached) and the surfaces of the leaves are smooth on the above and below. Male flowers are distributed in clusters of 3 along the rachis with obtuse perianth lobes while female flowers are distributed in solitary along the rachis with acute perianth lobes. Each ovoid cupule contains only one ovoid seed with the woody wall. Other than that, the seeds are edible, but they are somewhat bitter (Soepadmo & Saw, 2000).

Castanopsis oviformis is endemic to Borneo. It is common and widely distributed throughout Sabah and Sarawak. This species inhabits primary hill mixed dipterocarp and kerangas forests at elevations of up to 900 m (Soepadmo & Saw, 2000).