Shrubs scandent. Branchlets densely grayish yellow to gray tomentose, glabrescent, with sparse, short curved prickles. Leaves simple; petiole 1.5–2.5 cm, grayish yellow to gray tomentose; stipules late caducous, oblong-lanceolate, 1–1.5 cm, membranous, tomentose when young, gradually glabrescent, margin entire, rarely lobed apically; blade oblong-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 7–14 × 3–5 cm, veins 5–8 pairs, raised abaxially, slightly impressed adaxially, leathery, abaxially densely rusty tomentellate, adaxially glabrous, base rounded, margin with shallow minute serrations or coarsely serrate on vegetative branchlets, apex caudate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, racemes, 8–14 cm; rachis and pedicels densely grayish yellow tomentose-villous; bracts caducous, oblong-lanceolate, 1–1.4 cm, tomentose-villous when young, margin entire, rarely lobed. Pedicel 1–1.5 cm. Flowers 1–1.5 cm in diam. Calyx purplish red, abaxially densely grayish yellow tomentose-villous; tube shallowly cupular; sepals triangular-ovate to triangular-lanceolate, margin entire, apex shortly caudate. Petals red, oblong, slightly shorter than sepals, both surfaces puberulous. Stamens many, slightly pubescent or only anthers sparsely villous. Pistils longer than stamens; styles villous. Aggregate fruit red when immature, black at maturity, compressed globose, glabrous; pyrenes rugose. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Jul–Aug.

Forested slopes, roadsides, thickets; 800--2200 m. Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Zhejiang.