Shrubs scandent, unarmed or with spines. Leaves alternate or subopposite; petiole 8-12 mm, glabrous; leaf blade adaxially shiny, ovate-oblong or elliptic, 6-12 × 2.5-4 cm, thinly leathery, or leaves on flowering branches smaller, 3.5-5 × 1.8-2.5 cm, abaxially barbate at vein axils, adaxially glabrous, lateral veins 5 or 6(or 7) pairs, prominent abaxially, inconspicuous adaxially, base rounded, often asymmetrical, margin crenate, shallowly serrate, apex obtuse, acuminate, or shortly acuminate, rarely acute. Flowers sessile or subsessile, glabrous, usually in short axillary spikes, or rarely in spicate panicles on lower branches; rachis 2-3 cm, glabrous, often with brownish, ovate-triangular bracteoles. Sepals triangular-ovate, 1.3-1.5 mm, adaxially slightly keeled, apex acute. Petals clawed, shorter than sepals. Stamens ca. as long as petals. Drupe red when mature, elliptic-ovoid, large, 1-1.2 cm, 5-7 mm in diam., apex obtuse or mucronulate. Fl. Apr-Jul, fr. Nov-Dec.

This species is very similar to, and often confused with, Sageretia hamosa. The latter species differs in having larger leaves, with 7-10 pairs of lateral veins, and large inflorescences, with hairy rachises to 15 cm.

Sageretia lucida has been included by some authors in the synonymy of S. henryi. However, we found that specimens of S. lucida differ from S. henryi in having sessile flowers, barbate vein axils on the abaxial leaf surface, and drupes maturing within the current year.

Sparse forests in valleys; 300-800 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Zhejiang [India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam].