Trees 2–7 m tall. Branches purplish brown to blackish brown, glabrous, with sparse pale lenticels; branchlets reddish brown, velutinous, glabrescent. Winter buds ovoid; scale margins velutinous when young. Stipules not seen. Petiole 1.5–2.2 cm, densely velutinous, apex with 1 nectary; leaf blade elliptic, ovate-elliptic, or rarely oblong, 7–10(–12) × 3–4.5 cm, abaxially pale green and glabrous, adaxially dark green and velutinous on midvein or basally on secondary veins, base subrounded, subcordate, or broadly cuneate, margin entire or very rarely apically sparsely serrate, apex shortly acuminate. Racemes 8–13 cm, many-flowered, basally with 1–3 leaves; peduncle densely velutinous. Flowers not seen. Fruiting pedicel 4–6 mm, densely velutinous. Drupe black, ovoid, flat on both sides, 6–7 mm in diam., glabrous; sepals soon caducous. Fr. Jun–Oct.

Forests, stream sides, valleys, along trails; 2900--3200 m. S Xizang.