Young twigs glabrous except for scattered orange-brown or dark-brown, stalked, stellate hairs proximally. Leaf blades: margins often irregularly undulate, usually weakly 3-lobed or coarsely toothed, sometimes entire, surfaces glabrous except for scattered orange-brown or dark-brown, stalked, stellate hairs abaxially on some leaves, surface easily visible. Pedicels glabrous. Flowers: calyx glabrous, margins and teeth densely glandular, at least some teeth to 1 mm; style pubescent from proximal end to 15-35% of total length.

Flowering Apr-May; fruiting Jul-Sep. Dry, wooded bottomlands, rocky banks and ledges; 200-700 m; Tex.

Subspecies platanifolius is historically the most widespread of the three subspecies of Styrax platanifolius in Texas; it is now apparently extremely rare throughout its range.