Shrubs, to 4 m tall; young branches slender, glabrous, older growth drying dark brown, minutely lenticellate; buds ovoid-globose, glabrous. Stipules narrowly rounded, 15–17 mm, adaxially densely pubescent, base abaxially villous; petiole 5–8 mm, slender, glabrescent; leaf blade obovate or obovate-rounded, 3–7 × 2–4 cm, membranous, abaxially stellately pubescent, villous along veins, adaxially drying dark green, glabrescent, base slightly asymmetrical, subcordate or rounded, margin serrate above middle of leaf, teeth minutely mucronate, apex acute; lateral veins 8–10 on each side, the 2 lowermost with obscure tertiary veins. Inflorescence 4–4.5 cm; peduncle pubescent, with 1 or 2 basal leaves; floral bracts ovate, 1.8–2 mm, adaxially tomentose. Flowers subsessile. Floral cup 1.8–2 mm, glabrous. Sepals 0.8–1 mm. Petals obovate, 2–3 mm. Stamens 1.5–2 mm; staminodes 2-lobed. Ovary glabrous; styles less than 1 mm. Capsules minute, 4–5 mm, glabrous. Seeds 2–3 mm. Fl. Mar–May, fr. Jun–Aug.

Mountains; 800--1400 m. S Gansu (Wen Xian), N Sichuan (Songpan Xian).