Low shrubs, deciduous, 1-3(-6) m tall; branches angled to terete, puberulent to tomentulose or glabrescent, sometimes lenticellate, with bark usually reddish brown. Leaves distichous, subsessile to shortly petiolate; petiole to 2 mm; blade drying papery, lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate, lanceolate-elliptic, or ovate-oblong, 2.5-4 × 0.8-1.2 cm, adaxially puberulent to glabrous, abaxially glabrescent to puberulent or sparsely pilosulous at least along veins, base obtuse to rounded, apex acute or acuminate; secondary veins 5-7 pairs, with pilosulous domatia; stipules persistent to deciduous, ligulate to ovate in outline, 2-5 mm, puberulent to glabrous, deeply bilobed, lobes narrowly triangular, acute to acuminate, erect to reflexed. Inflorescences densely puberulent or strigillose to glabrescent; peduncles 1-5 cm, with bracts 2-4 mm; flowering heads borne separately on axillary or sometimes apically paired peduncles, 4-7 mm in diam. across calyces, 10-12 mm in diam. across corollas; bracteoles linear or linear-clavate, 1-2 mm. Calyx puberulent to glabrescent; ovary portion obconic, 0.8-1 mm; limb deeply lobed, lobes spatulate or spatulate-clavate, 1-2 mm, at apex thickened, rounded, papillose. Corolla white or flushed with pink or purple on lobes, slenderly funnelform, outside glabrescent, puberulent, or hirtellous with trichomes often purple-red; tube 2-3 mm; lobes deltoid to ligulate, 0.5-1 mm, acute to obtuse. Stigma obovoid, 0.2-0.3 mm, exserted for 3-4 mm. Fruiting heads 8-12 mm in diam. Capsules oblong-obcuneate, 3-4 mm, puberulent, hirtellous, or glabrescent; seeds ca. 1.5 mm. Fl. and fr. May-Dec.

This is a widespread and frequently collected species. The stipules are sometimes completely split, with the lobes falling separately, and can be confused with triangular entire stipules if care is not taken. How (Sunyatsenia 6: 249. 1946) noted that this species is effective for stabilization of slopes.

Wet sites at streamsides, riversides, and sand beaches; below 100-600 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Zhejiang [Korea].