Trees 5-18(-30) m tall. Young branches terete or ± angular; current year branchlets pubescent when young, soon glabrescent. Petiole 7-10 mm, pubescent when young but glabrescent; leaf blade ovate to oblong-elliptic, 5-12(-16.5) × 3-5.5 cm, papery, abaxially glaucescent green and glabrous or when young sparsely pubescent, adaxially green and glabrous, midvein abaxially elevated and adaxially flat or slightly impressed, secondary veins 6-8 on each side of midvein and conspicuous to raised on both surfaces, base cuneate, margin serrate or rarely entire, apex acuminate to caudate. Inflorescences axillary, dichasial cymes, 2-4-forked, ca. 15-flowered; peduncle ca. l cm, slightly pubescent; bracts caducous, lanceolate, 2-3 mm. Pedicel 7-10 mm but for terminal flowers subsessile to 2 mm, pubescent or glabrescent; bracteoles 2, caducous, ca. l mm. Sepals persistent, oblong to oblong-elliptic, 4.5-5 × 1.7-2.5 mm, scarious but center thickened, glabrous, margin ciliolate, apex rounded. Corolla 5.3-6.4 mm; tube 0.3-0.4 mm; lobes white, obovate-oblong, unequal, 5-6 × 2-3 mm, glabrous, apex rounded. Stamens 10(-13); filaments ca. 1.5 × 1 mm; anthers lanceolate, ca. 2 mm. Ovary pyramidal, apex acuminate. Fruit long conic to flask-shaped, 7-8 × 3-4 mm, woody. Seeds ca. 3 × 1 mm. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Sep. 2n = 48.

Forests in valleys; 700-1900 m. W Guizhou, C and W Yunnan [N Myanmar, N Thailand, Vietnam].