Hoteia chinensis Maximowicz, Prim. Fl. Amur. 120. 1859; Astilbe chinensis var. davidii Franchet; A. davidii (Franchet) L. Henry.

Herbs 50-100 cm tall. Rhizomes dark brown, thick, with many fibrous roots. Stems glabrous. Basal leaves 2 or 3 × ternately compound; common petiole brown pilose near leaf axil; lateral and terminal leaflets rhombic-elliptic or ovate to elliptic, 1.8-8 × 1.1-4 cm, abaxially sparsely rigidly hairy and glandular hairy along veins, adaxially rigidly hairy along veins, base cuneate or subcordate to rounded, margin doubly serrate, apex acute to shortly acuminate. Cauline leaves 2 or 3, smaller than basal ones. Panicle 8-37 × 3-4(-12) cm, densely flowered; proximal branches 4-11.5 cm, densely brown long crisped hairy; bracts ovate. Sepals 5, ovate, 1-1.5 × ca. 0.7 mm, both surfaces glabrous, margin glandular puberulous distally. Petals 5, lilac to purple, linear, 4.5-5 × 0.5-1 mm, 1-veined. Stamens 10, 2-2.5 mm. Carpels 2, base connate. Capsule ca. 3 mm. Seeds brown, ca. 1.5 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun-Sep. 2n = 14.

Forests, forest margins, meadows, valleys, riversides; 400-3600 m. ?Anhui, SE Gansu, ?Guangdong, ?Guangxi, ?Guizhou, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, ?Nei Mongol, SE Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Japan, Korea, Russia].