Shrubs or small trees to 6 m tall. Young branchlets lenticellate. Leaves clustered at branchlet apex, biennial; petiole ca. 2 cm; leaf blade dark green and shiny adaxially, dull after drying, obovate or obovate-lanceolate, 4–9 × 1.5–4 cm, leathery, lateral veins 6–8-paired, connected at margin, sometimes reticulate veins conspicuous between lateral veins, base narrowly cuneate, margin entire, revolute, apex rounded or obtuse, usually emarginate or slightly cordate. Inflorescences terminal or near so, umbellate or corymbose; bracts lanceolate, 4–5 mm; bracteoles 2–3 mm; pedicels 1–2 cm; flowers fragrant. Sepals lanceolate, 3–4 mm. Petals free, white at first, becoming yellow later, oblanceolate, 1–1.2 cm. Stamens dimorphic: filament 2–3 mm and anther nearly sterile in reduced stamens; filament 5–6 mm and anther yellow, oblong, and ca. 2 mm in fertile stamens. Ovary long ovoid, densely pubescent; placentas 3; ovules numerous, in 2 rows. Capsule globose, angular, ca. 1.2 cm in diam., dehiscing by 3 valves, ± pubescent; pericarp yellow-brown and shiny adaxially, ca. 1.5 mm thick, woody, horizontally striate; stipe 1–2 mm. Seeds numerous, red, angular, ca. 4 mm; funicle ca. 2 mm. Fl. Mar–May, fr. May–Oct.

Cultivated for ornament and possibly naturalized, forests, limestone areas, slopes, sandy seashores, roadsides;; sea level to 1800 m. Native in N Taiwan; introduced in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [native to S Japan and S Korea].