Shrubs more than 1 m tall. Branchlets brownish to dark brown, terete, densely rust colored tomentose, with sparse, minute prickles. Leaves simple; petiole 4–6.5 cm, densely rusty brown tomentose, with sparse, minute prickles; stipules free, oblong-lanceolate, to 1.5 cm, densely rusty brown tomentose, margin pinnately laciniate; lobes linear or linear-lanceolate; blade broadly ovate, 12–20 × 8–16 cm, thick, lateral veins 4 or 5 pairs, prominently raised abaxially, impressed adaxially, abaxially rusty brown tomentose, adaxially so only along veins, base cordate, margin unevenly sharply doubly serrate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, cymose-subpaniculate, compact, many flowered, terminal ones 5–10 cm, axillary ones 4–6 cm; rachis, pedicels, and abaxial surface of calyx densely rusty brown tomentose; bracts 1.3–1.5 cm, tomentose, margin laciniate or undivided. Pedicel ca. 1 cm. Flowers 7–10 mm in diam. Sepals erect after anthesis, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 5–8 mm, apex acute to acuminate; outer sepals usually divided apically, inner sepals entire. Petals broadly obovate or suborbicular, shorter than sepals, glabrous, base shortly clawed, apex premorse. Stamens often short, rarely nearly as long as petals; filaments linear. Pistils numerous, longer than stamens; ovary glabrous. Fruit unknown. Fl. Jul–Aug.

Forest margins; 1300--2000 m. NW and S Yunnan.