The evergreen arbor can attain the height up to 30 meters with a chest diameter of 60 centimeters. The leaves, obovoid or oval, are keratinous. The flowers are pure white and aromatic, with 5.5 to 6 centimeters in length and 2 to 2.5 centimeters in width, without any stipule traces.    

Common Alcimandra is distributed in broad-leaved evergreen forests of the mountainous regions 1,200-2,400 meters above sea level. As one of the heliophilous species, it mainly grows on the southeast slopes of the higher part of mountainous regions or on ridges. The saplings need full exposure in sunshine for better growth. It grows better in acidic soil, which contains full organic elements. It blossoms in May, and fructifies in September and October.    

It is sparsely distributed over the southeast part of Yunnan Province and Muotuo in Tibet. It is a mono-genus plant of the Magnolia Family, so it is of a certain value to the study of the plantage. With a straight trunk, it is a kind of fine timber tree. Its flowers are both aesthetic and aromatic, so it is a rare and valuable species for forestation and greening projects both in urban and rural areas.