Shrubs or small trees, deciduous, 1–2 m tall. Branchlets reddish brown to purplish brown when young, blackish brown when old, terete, densely brown hirsute, with orbicular lenticels; buds ovoid, apex acute; scales dark reddish brown, brown hirsute. Petiole 2–4 mm, thick, densely brown hirsute; leaf blade elliptic, elliptic-lanceolate, or subovate, 3–7.5 × 1.5–3 cm, papery, lateral veins 5 or 6 pairs, abaxially brown hirsute, gradually glabrate, adaxially sparsely pilose when young, glabrescent, base broadly cuneate or subrounded, margin sparsely sharply serrate, apex acuminate to caudate, sometimes 3-lobed. Inflorescences umbellate or simple corymbose, 0.8–1.5 × 0.8–2 cm, nearly without peduncle, 3–8-flowered; bracts subulate, 4–5 mm, slightly pubescent. Pedicel 3–10 mm, densely brown hirsute. Flowers 5–7 mm in diam. Hypanthium campanulate, abaxially densely brown hirsute. Sepals triangular, 2–2.5 mm. Petals white or pinkish, obovate, 2.5–3.5 mm, adaxially puberulous. Stamens 20, somewhat shorter than petals. Styles 2, connate basally, not exceeding stamens, base pubescent. Fruit red, ellipsoid, 7–9 mm, subglabrous, lenticellate; seeds blackish brown, ellipsoid, 2–3 mm, smooth. Fl. Apr–May, fr. Aug–Sep.

Forests, river valleys, waste places; 100--800 m. Anhui, Fujian, ?Guangdong, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang.