Shrubs dioecious, 1-3 m tall. Branchlets glabrous, unarmed. Buds ovoid to oblong-ovoid, 4-6 mm, glabrous, apex acute. Petiole 1-3 cm, glabrous or puberulent, sparsely shortly stalked glandular; leaf blade broadly ovate to suborbicular, 2-5 cm, sparsely obscurely glandular pubescent, adaxially also eglandular pubescent, base subtruncate to shallowly cordate; lobes 3-5, ovate to rhombic-ovate, margin coarsely obtusely dentate, sometimes with some double teeth, apex obtuse or acute; terminal lobe slightly longer than lateral ones. Male racemes 3-5 cm, 8-20(-25)-flowered, female ones shorter, fewer flowered; rachis pubescent and sparsely glandular pubescent; bracts lanceolate to oblong, 4-7 mm, puberulent, 1-veined, margin sparsely glandular hairy. Pedicel 1-3 mm, puberulent or sparsely stalked glandular. Calyx purple to brownish red, glabrous; tube shallowly cupular, 1.5-2 mm; lobes erect, ovate, rarely ligulate, 2-2.5 mm. Petals subflabellate to cuneate-spatulate, 0.5-0.7 mm. Stamens longer than petals. Ovary glabrous. Style longer than stamens, apex 2-lobed. Fruit black, subglobose, 0.5-0.7 cm in diam., glabrous. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Aug-Sep.

Forests, forest margins, slopes, river banks; 2800-4100 m. W Sichuan, NW Yunnan [E Himalayas].