Shrubs, evergreen, erect, 2-3 m tall. Young branches with dense, brownish red, overlapping scales. Petiole brown, 5-7 mm; leaf blade abaxially grayish white, speckled brown, adaxially drying dull green, broadly elliptic, 3-6 × 1.5-3.5 cm, leathery or subleathery, abaxially with overlapping scales; scales mostly white, some brown, especially on midrib, margins ± toothed; adaxially soon glabrous, lateral veins 4-7 per side of midrib, ± conspicuous on both surfaces, base rounded or obtuse, margin entire, apex acuminate. Inflorescence a short raceme 1-5-flowered. Pedicel 6-10 mm. Flowers light white; scales silvery and brown. Calyx tube broadly tubular-campanulate, 4-5 mm; lobes broadly ovate-triangular, 1.5-2.5 mm, inside with lacerate scales, apex acute. Filaments very short; anthers broadly ellipsoid, ca. 1 mm. Style S-shaped, with white stellate hairs. Drupe broadly ellipsoid, ca. 1 × 0.5 cm, with dense brownish rust-colored scales. Fl. Nov-Feb, fr. Mar-Apr.

● Montane areas; 1600-2000 m. Chongqing, SE Sichuan, SE Yunnan.