Trees to 10 m tall. Branchlets dark purple or purplish brown when old, terete, densely puberulous when young, glabrous when old; buds dark purple, ovoid, subglabrous or scales puberulous at margin. Stipules caducous, linear-lanceolate, membranous, 6–8 mm, glabrous or subglabrous, margin entire, apex acuminate; petiole 2–3.5 cm, tomentose; leaf blade ovate, 9–13 × 5–6.5 cm, abaxially white tomentose, adaxially rarely sparsely puberulous along midvein and lateral veins when young, base truncate, rounded or subcordate, margin doubly serrate, apex acuminate. Corymb umbel-like, 5–8 cm in diam. 4–13-flowered; bracts caducous, linear or lanceolate, membranous, tomentose, margin entire, apex acuminate. Pedicel 2–2.5 cm, densely pubescent. Flowers 1.5–1.8 cm in diam. Hypanthium campanulate, abaxially densely pubescent. Sepals triangular, ca. 3 mm, slightly shorter than hypanthium, abaxially pubescent, adaxially glabrous or sparsely puberulous, margin entire, apex acute. Petals white, ovate, ca. 8 mm, base shortly clawed, apex rounded. Stamens 15–20, unequal, slightly shorter than petals. Ovary 3–5-loculed, with 2 ovules per locule; styles 3–5, slightly longer than stamens, glabrous basally. Pome red, subglobose, 1.5–2 cm in diam., with cupular cavity at apex; fruiting pedicel ca. 3 cm, villous; sepals persistent. Fl. Jun, fr. Aug. 2n = 34*.

Mixed stream side forests, valleys; 2000--3500 m. SW Sichuan, Xizang, NW Yunnan.