Trees or shrubs, 3–6(–8) m tall, 5–10 cm in diam.; young branches pubescent; old branches with white oblong lenticels and conspicuous leaf scars. Petiole 2–3 cm, pubescent with thick trichomes; leaf blade narrowly elliptic to elliptic, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, oblanceolate, or narrowly lanceolate, 10–15(–20) × (1.5–)3–5(–7) cm, papery, or thinly leathery, abaxially glabrous or pubescent with soft trichomes, or with both soft and stiff trichomes, or with soft trichomes only on midvein, or with thick trichomes on veins, adaxially glabrous, veins raised abaxially, conspicuously impressed adaxially, and connected before reaching margin, base cuneate, margin 4–7-serrulate or 7–9-serrulate on upper 1/3, apex cuspidate for 1–1.5(–3) cm or acuminate. Staminate inflorescences racemose panicles, 8–12(–13) cm, all parts purplish red, with dense soft trichomes when young, upper portion of trichomes purplish red; pedicel 2–2.5 mm, pubescent. Carpellate inflorescences (2–)3–5(–5.5) cm, with dense thick trichomes and reddish brown soft trichomes, all parts reddish purple. Staminate flowers: calyx slightly 4-lobed, lobes rounded, pubescent; petals narrowly ovate, 3–3.5 × ca. 2 mm, apex caudate for 1.5–2 mm; stamens 1–2.5 mm, filaments stout. Carpellate flowers: calyx and petals similar to those of staminate flowers; ovary pubescent with thick trichomes; style stout; stigma slightly 2-lobed; bracteoles 2. Fruit dark red, ovoid-oblong to subellipsoid, sparsely pubescent, 1–1.5 cm, 5–6 mm in diam. Fl. Mar–May, fr. Oct–May.

Forests; 500–1300 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, W Hubei, Hunan, S Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Bhutan, N India, N Myanmar, Sikkim].