Castanopsis lucida is a tree species that can grow up to 20 m tall and 40 cm bole diameter. The brown outer bark has a glabrescent, large-lenticellate or fissured or rarely smooth surface and the inner bark is yellowish and fibrous. The sapwood is a dirty white colour. Large lenticels are densely covered on the twigs. The leaves are elliptic and oblong to ovate-elliptic shapes with thick leathery texture on the surfaces. Male flowers have obtuse perianth lobes and are placed in clusters of 3-5 along the rachis, whilst female flowers have acute perianth lobes and are distributed in clusters of 3 along the rachis. There are 2-4 ovoid seeds with a thick and woody wall in each asymmetrical cupule (Soepadmo & Saw, 2000).

At elevations of up to 500 m, Castanopsis lucida can be found in hill mixed dipterocarp forest. This species is present in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Borneo. It is not known from Sabah and is uncommon in Sarawak (Soepadmo & Saw, 2000).