Shrubs or rarely trees, 1-3(-12) m tall; branches terete to somewhat flattened or quadrangular, sparsely strigillose or pilosulous to usually glabrous. Leaves opposite; petiole 1-6 mm, glabrous; blade drying leathery or subleathery, adaxially pale green to dark gray-green, abaxially rather pale or reddish brown to dark purple-gray or purple-black, elliptic-oblong, oblong-lanceolate, oblanceolate, or elliptic, 3-14.5 × 0.8-5 cm, glabrous on both surfaces, base cuneate to rounded, truncate, or cordulate, apex acute to acuminate; secondary veins 5-9 pairs; stipules caducous or persistent, spatulate, lanceolate, or leaflike, 1-10 mm, glabrous, apex erect to spreading, acute. Inflorescence cymose to paniculate, narrowly pyramidal, 1.5-10 × 1.5-6.6 cm, branched to 2 orders, puberulent to glabrescent, pedunculate; peduncle 0.3-3 cm; bracts linear, lanceolate, or spatulate, 0.3-3 mm; pedicels 2-3.5 mm. Flowers pedicellate. Calyx glabrous; hypanthium portion subglobose to ellipsoid, 1.5-2 mm; limb deeply lobed; lobes triangular, 0.5-1 mm. Corolla white, salverform, glabrous outside; tube 5-8 mm, pilose in throat; lobes narrowly oblong, 5-6 mm. Filaments 4-4.5 mm; anthers linear-lanceolate, 3-3.3 mm, exserted. Stigma 2-lobed, 1.5-2 mm. Capsules red or purplish black, subglobose to ovoid, 2-3 × 2.5-3.5 mm, glabrous. Fl. and fr. Apr to Jan of following year.

This species was included by Cowan in a group of generally similar species that are all reduced shrubs, but it apparently becomes rather large compared to the other species; also its stipules are anomalous in the group, as the other species otherwise have very narrow triangular stipules.

● Open spaces or streamsides and rocks in forests on mountains; 400-1400 m. Hainan.