Shrubs erect, to 2 m tall. Branchlets red-brown, angled, glabrous to slightly pubescent; buds red-brown, ovoid, with 2 or 3 scales, apex obtuse; often 2 or 3 buds superposed in axils of flowering branches. Stipules ovate-lanceolate, ca. 6 mm, subglabrous, margin remotely serrate, apex acute; petiole 1–1.5 cm, subglabrous; leaf blade ovate to ovate-elliptic, 6–8.5 × 4–6 cm, abaxially sparsely pubescent on veins or subglabrous, base rounded or subcordate, margin usually 3-parted, rarely with 3–5 equal lobes, sharply doubly serrate, apex long acuminate. Panicle 6–15.5 cm in diam., densely or laxly branched, usually many flowered; peduncle and pedicels slightly pubescent. Flowers ca. 4 mm in diam.; pedicel ca. 3 mm. Hypanthium campanulate, 2–3 mm, abaxially pubescent. Sepals triangular, equaling hypanthium, sparsely pubescent on both surfaces, margin entire, apex caudate. Petals white, obovate, ca. 2 mm. Stamens 10–15. Ovary cylindric, glabrous or only pubescent on sutures, or wholly pubescent; ovules (8–)10–12. Follicles cylindric. Seeds ovoid. Fl. Jul, fr. Sep–Oct.

Dense forests, open forests, forest margins in valleys, scrub; 1000--3000 m. Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Indonesia (Java, Sumatra), Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim, N Vietnam].