Trees or shrubs, 10–12 m tall. Branchlets dark reddish brown, terete, glabrous, with few inconspicuous lenticels; buds ovoid to narrowly ovoid, 6–10 mm, apex acute; scales several, brown, glabrous. Leaves simple; petiole 1–2(–3) cm, initially puberulent, glabrate; leaf blade grayish green abaxially, narrowly elliptic or narrowly ovate to obovate-elliptic, 7–12 × 3–7 cm, lateral veins (8–)10–12(–18) pairs, nearly parallel and terminating in marginal teeth, abaxially puberulent along veins, adaxially glabrous, base broadly cuneate to rounded, margin obtusely crenate, apex acuminate, rarely acute. Inflorescences compound-corymbose, 3.5–5 × 4–6 cm, many flowered; rachis and pedicels sparsely brownish yellow pubescent. Pedicel 5–8 mm. Flowers 6–10 mm in diam. Hypanthium campanulate, abaxially puberulous. Sepals triangular-ovate, 1.5–2.5 mm, apex ± obtuse or acute. Petals white, broadly ovate to obovate, 3–5 mm, apex obtuse. Stamens 20; anthers purple, shorter than petals. Styles 4 or 5, not exceeding stamens, glabrous, connate basally. Fruit brown, globose or obovoid, 1–1.4 cm × 8–10 mm, glabrous, 4- or 5-loculed, distinctly but minutely lenticellate, apex with an annular scar. Fl. Apr–May, fr. Aug–Oct.

Mixed forests in mountain regions, valleys; 600--2100 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, SE Yunnan.