Shrubs, 1-2 m tall; branchlets strigillose to hirtellous. Petiole 5-8 mm, strigillose to hirsute; leaf blade leathery, oblong or elliptic-oblong, 8-15 × 3-5 cm, glabrous adaxially, strigillose or hirsute on midrib and nerves abaxially, base cuneate, apex cuspidate or acute; lateral veins 7-9 pairs; nervules parallel; nerves and nervules elevated abaxially; stipules triangular-lanceolate to narrowly triangular, 5-8 mm, densely strigillose. Inflorescences glomerulate, sessile; bracts absent. Flowers subsessile. Calyx strigillose to hirsute; hypanthium obconic to campanulate, ca. 2 mm; limb 1-1.5 mm, deeply 4-lobed; lobes narrowly triangular, ca. 1 mm. Corolla 6-8 mm, densely strigillose in upper half outside; lobes 4. Fruit subglobose, 5-6 mm in diam., verrucose, strigillose; pyrenes 4. Fl. Apr-May, fr. Sep-Oct.

Lasianthus trichophlebus was often confused with both L. chinensis and L. verticillatus. However, it differs from L. chinensis by having leathery leaves with 7-9 pairs of lateral veins and parallel veinlets; stipules triangular-lanceolate, strigillose, 5-8 mm; flowers 4-merous; and pyrenes 4. It differs from L. verticillatus by having strigillose hairs on young branches and leaf nerves abaxially; stipules triangular-lanceolate, strigillose, 5-8 mm; flowers 4-merous; calyx with strigillose triangular lobes; and drupes with 4 pyrenes and verrucose on external surface.

Forests, shaded and wet places; ca. 100 m. Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan [Indonesia, Malaysia (Peninsular), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam].