Lyonia bracteata (W. W. Smith) Chun; Pieris bracteata W. W. Smith; P. esquirolii H. Léveillé & Vaniot; P. esquirolii var. discolor H. Léveillé & Vaniot; P. longicornuta H. Léveillé & Vaniot; Vaccinium donianum Wight var. austrosinense Handel-Mazzetti; V. donianum var. hangchouense Matsuda; V. donianum var. laetum (Diels) Rehder & E. H. Wilson; V. hangchouense (Matsuda) Komatsu; V. laetum Diels; V. laetum var. undulatum Y. C. Yang; V. mandarinorum var. austrosinense (Handel-Mazzetti) Metcalf; V. mandarinorum var. laetum (Diels) Metcalf; V. parvibracteatum Hayata.

Shrubs or small trees, evergreen, 1–4(–7) m tall. Twigs terete, glabrous or pubescent, sometimes densely puberulous; bud scales inconspicuous. Leaves scattered; petiole 3–8 mm, glabrous or pubescent; leaf blade ovate or oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, 3–9 × 1.5–3.5 cm, leathery to thinly leathery, both surfaces usually glabrous, sometimes puberulous on midvein, secondary veins 5–9 pairs, ± ascending, thin, fine veins raised abaxially, flat to inconspicuous adaxially, base cuneate to rounded, margin dentate, apex acute to abruptly acuminate for ca. 1.5 cm. Inflorescences racemose, 2.5–10 cm, pubescent or glabrous, many flowered; bracts caducous or persistent, lanceolate, ovate, or ovate-lanceolate, (2–)4–15 mm. Pedicel 2–8 mm, slender, glabrous or puberulous. Hypanthium 1–1.5 mm, glabrous; calyx lobes ± recurved, 0.5–1.5 mm. Corolla white or pinkish, tubular or urceolate, 5–7 mm, glabrous; lobes ca. 1.5 mm. Filaments ca. 1.5 mm, ± pubescent; anthers ca. 3.5 mm, with 2 short spurs; tubules ca. 1.5 × as long as thecae or longer. Berry 10-pseudoloculed, dark purple, glabrous, 4–7 mm in diam. Fl. Apr–Jun, fr. Jun–Oct.

Pinus-Quercus forests, secondary forests, forest margins, thickets; 100–1600 m (or mostly 1800–2900 m on Yunnan plateau). Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Zhejiang.