Shrubs or small trees, 1–10 m tall, densely branched. Branchlets grayish brown when old, terete, initially densely villous, gradually glabrescent, with sparse, inconspicuous lenticels; buds reddish brown, narrowly ovoid, apex shortly acuminate; scales subglabrous or pubescent at margin. Petiole 1.2–2 cm, pilose, gradually glabrescent; stipules caducous, subulate, 5–6 mm, membranous, slightly pilose; leaf blade oblong, oblong-lanceolate, or oblanceolate, (3–)5–12 × 2–4.5 cm, midvein raised abaxially and impressed adaxially, lateral veins 8–16 pairs and inconspicuous, both surfaces grayish brown villous along midvein, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, margin entire or undulate, apex acute or abruptly pointed. Compound corymbs terminal, 5–8 × (1.5–)5–10 cm, few or numerous flowered; rachis and pedicels villous; bracts caducous, ovate-lanceolate, membranous. Pedicel 2–4 mm. Flowers 5–10 mm in diam. Hypanthium cupular, 5–7 mm, abaxially sparsely villous. Sepals triangular-ovate, 2–3 mm, margin entire, apex acute. Petals suborbicular, 4–5 mm in diam., base shortly clawed. Stamens 20; anthers purplish red. Styles 5, mostly connate, not exceeding stamens; stigma capitate; ovary tomentose apically. Fruit orangish red, subglobose, 7–8 mm in diam.; sepals erect; seeds narrowly ellipsoid. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Sep–Oct.

One of us (Spongberg) notes that, because of variability, further study is necessary to determine whether these taxa are really distinct.

Slopes, mountain summits, roadsides, thickets, river valleys, damp gullies; 900--3000 m. Fujian, Gansu, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Malaysia, N Vietnam].