Shrubs, to 2 m tall; branchlets subtetragonous, compressed, becoming terete, brown-gray, ± minutely lenticellate. Petiole 4-5 mm, canaliculate; leaf blade oblong-lanceolate, 9-11(-15) × (2-)3-4 cm, papery or thinly leathery, adaxially chestnut brown to light black, not shiny, base narrowly cuneate, margin entire; lateral veins (6 or)7 or 8 pairs, reticulate veins conspicuous. Fascicles axillary, many flowered; pedicel 6-10 mm, base with multicolumn small scales. Flowers light green; sepals broadly deltoid, margin membranous, apex rounded; petals up to 3 mm, obovate, fleshy, margin membranous. Stamens 3; filaments flat, tonguelike, inserted at margin of disk, reflexed; anther sacs forked. Ovary 3-locular, concealed in disk; ovules 2 per locule. Berry globose, up to 2 cm in diam., exocarp fleshy when fresh, 1-3-seeded. Seeds angular. Fl. Feb-Apr, fr. May-Jul.

Sparse woods along roadsides; ca. 500 m. S Yunnan (Xishuangbanna) [Cambodia, Vietnam].