Shrubs 2–3 m tall. Branchlets brownish to reddish brown, gray tomentose initially, finally glabrous, unarmed. Leaves simple; petiole 2–3.5 cm, brown, gray tomentose when young, glabrate in age, unarmed; stipules caducous, free, brown, oblong-lanceolate, 2–4(–5) × 0.5–0.8 cm, tomentose when young, glabrescent, margin sharply serrate apically, or rarely laciniate; blade elliptic or ovate-elliptic, rarely suborbicular, 10–17 × 5–10 cm, palmately 5-veined, lateral veins 2–4 pairs, prominently raised abaxially, impressed adaxially, abaxially densely gray or yellowish gray tomentose, adaxially dark green, glabrous, base broadly cuneate to rounded, margin irregularly narrowly lobed above middle; lobes unevenly sharply serrate, apex caudate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, terminal ones narrow cymose panicles, to 8 cm, axillary ones subracemes, to 2–3 cm, or flowers several in clusters in leaf axils; rachis and pedicels densely gray tomentose; bracts caducous, oblong-lanceolate, (1–)1.5–2(–3) cm, tomentose when young, later glabrate, margin laciniate apically, or entire. Pedicel 5–9 mm. Flowers ca. 1 cm in diam. Calyx abaxially densely gray tomentose; tube campanulate; sepals triangular or ovate-lanceolate, 6–9 × 3–5 mm, apex acute or shortly acuminate; outer sepals apically divided or serrate, inner sepals entire. Petals white, obovate, 7–9 × 3–4 mm, base clawed and slightly soft hairy, apex acute. Stamens many, shorter than petals; filaments short, broad, complanate. Pistils 30–50, longer than stamens, glabrous. Aggregate fruit reddish brown, subglobose, 7–9 mm in diam., glabrous. Fl. Jun–Jul, fr. Aug–Sep.

Forest margins by river- and stream sides, shaded valleys; 1000--2200 m. C Sichuan (Emei Shan).