Trees, 6-20 m tall. Branchlets grayish white when dry, terete. Petiole 1-2 cm; leaf blade broadly elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 6-12 × 3.5-7 cm, leathery, abaxially slightly pale when dry, adaxially brownish green to blackish brown and slightly glossy when dry, both surfaces with small glands, secondary veins numerous, 1-2 mm apart, and gradually extending into margin, intramarginal veins ca. 1 mm from margin, base broadly cuneate to rarely rounded, apex rounded to obtuse and with a short cusp. Inflorescences axillary on flowering branches or occasionally terminal, paniculate cymes, to 11 cm. Hypanthium obconic or long pyriform, ca. 4 mm or 7-8 mm. Calyx lobes inconspicuous, 0.3-0.7 mm. Petals 4, white or light purple, coherent, ovate and slightly rounded, ca. 2.5 mm. Stamens 3-4 mm. Style as long as stamens. Fruit red to black, ellipsoid to pot-shaped, 1-2 cm, 1-seeded; persistent calyx tube 1-1.5 mm. Fl. Feb-Mar or Apr-May, fr. Jun-Sep.

Secondary forests on level areas, wastelands, streamsides; below 100 to 1200 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Australia].