Shrubs, small, semi-evergreen to evergreen, erect, rigid, to 1.5(–3) m tall. Branchlets spiralled, dark grayish brown or brownish, terete, initially densely whitish tomentose, glabrate. Leaves spiralled; petiole 1–3 mm, tomentose; stipules caducous, subulate, tomentulose; leaf blade green adaxially, elliptic to oblong or elliptic-obovate, 5–10(–16) × (2–)4–9 mm, subleathery or thickly papery, midvein raised abaxially, impressed adaxially, abaxially densely gray tomentose, adaxially initially appressed pubescent, glabrescent, base narrowly to broadly cuneate, apex acuminate or acute and mucronate. Inflorescences (1- or)3–5(–9)-flowered; bracts lanceolate. Pedicel 3–5 mm, tomentose. Flowers 7–9 mm in diam. Hypanthium campanulate, abaxially tomentose. Sepals ovate-triangular, apex acute. Petals spreading, white, suborbicular or broadly ovate, 3–4 mm in diam., glabrous, apex obtuse. Stamens 20, slightly shorter than petals; anthers pink to blackish. Styles 2, nearly as long as stamens. Fruit red, subglobose or depressed globose, 5–6 mm in diam.; nutlets usually 2. Fl. Apr–Jun, fr. Sep–Oct. 2n = 51, 68.

Mountain regions, rocky mountain slopes, thickets, roadsides, river valleys; 1000–3900 m. Bhutan, China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan), India, Myanmar, Nepal.

Specimen examined at A: Near Jibrikot, 2591 m, 3 Jun 1952, N. Polunin, V. R. Sykes & L. Williams 2146.

stem: posture: erect

plant: height: 10-300 cm tall

stem: branchlet: color: brown, dark, gray

stem: branchlet: indumentum: type: glabrate, tomentose

leaf: petiole: length: 1-3 mm

leaf: blade: shape: elliptic, oblong, obovate

leaf: blade: length: 0.5-1.6 cm long

leaf: blade: width: 0.2-0.9 cm wide

leaf: blade: length: width ratio: 1.1-2.5

leaf: texture: leathery, papery

leaf: blade: abaxial surface: indumentum type: tomentose

leaf: blade: adaxial surface: indumentum type: glabrescent, pubescent

leaf: blade: base: cuneate

leaf: blade: apex: acuminate, acute, mucronate

inflorescence: type: cyme, fascicled flowers, solitary flowers

petal: color: white

inflorescence: flowers: number: 1-9

petal: posture: spreading

pedicel: length: 3-5 mm

hypanthium: indumentum: type: tomentose

stamens: number: 20

anthers: color: black, pink

fruit: color: red

fruit: shape: depressed, globose

fruit: diam.: 5-6 mm

nutlets: number: 2

flowering: Apr, May, Jun

fruiting: Sep, Oct

distribution: elevation: 1000-3900 m