Shrubs evergreen, erect or occasionally scandent, 1–4 m tall or trees 3–17 m tall, sometimes epiphytic. Twigs narrowly angled, glabrous or pubescent; bud scales conspicuous, caducous. Leaves scattered; petiole 5–14 mm, glabrous to densely pubescent; leaf blade elliptic, oblong, oblong-lanceolate, or ovate, 4.5–13(–17) × 2–5.5(–8) cm, leathery to thickly leathery, abaxially sparsely appressed-glandular hairy, adaxially glabrous or pubescent on midvein, rarely densely dark punctate, secondary veins 3–9 pairs, conspicuous adaxially, sometimes conspicuous abaxially, fine veins inconspicuous or raised adaxially, base cuneate to obtuse, margin plane, entire, with 1 basal gland per side, apex caudate-acuminate. Inflorescences racemose, 3–7 cm, glabrous, 5–18-flowered; bracts caducous, ovate, 7–10 mm. Pedicel 5–8 mm. Hypanthium 1.2–1.5 mm, glabrous; calyx lobes triangular or lanceolate, 1–2.5 mm, glabrous or with hairs. Corolla virescent, purplish, or pinkish, broadly campanulate, ca. 6 mm, glabrous; lobes triangular, ca. 2 mm. Filaments ca. 1 mm, puberulous; anthers 3–3.5 mm, with 2 spreading spurs; tubules 1–2 × as long as thecae. Berry 10-pseudoloculed, dark purple with a bloom, 4–12 mm in diam. Fl. Apr–May, fr. Sep–Dec.

Forests, forest margins, sometimes epiphytic on trees, thickets, shrubby slopes, exposed rocky slopes, high mountains, calcareous mountains; (700–)1400–2700(–3100) m. Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim, Vietnam].