Shrubs or trees 2-5(-8) m tall, glabrous. Branchlets terete, 3-4 mm in diam., minutely glandular papillate, early glabrescent. Petiole marginate, 5-10 mm; leaf blade narrowly oblanceolate, 9-19 × 2-5 cm, papery, inconspicuously punctate, base acute, margin flat, entire, apex acuminate, acumen 1-1.5 cm; lateral veins 14-20 on each side of midrib, inconspicuous adaxially, slightly raised abaxially, marginal vein absent. Inflorescences axillary, paniculate, branches umbellate or subracemose, rarely cymose, 4-10 cm. Flowers papery, white, rarely red or pink, 5-7 mm. Pedicel 1.2-1.9 cm. Sepals broadly ovate, ca. 2 mm, reflexed in fruit, punctate, base subauriculate, verruculose, margin hyaline, ciliate, apex rounded or emarginate. Petals nearly free, broadly ovate, 5-7 mm, glabrous, purplish red punctate, apex acute. Stamens shorter than petals; anthers lanceolate, black punctate dorsally, dehiscent by longitudinal pores, apex acute or minutely apiculate. Pistil as long as petals; ovary glabrous; ovules numerous, in 3 or 4 series. Fruit reddish purple or blackish, oblate, ca. 7 mm in diam., densely punctate. Fl. Feb-Apr, fr. Sep-Nov.

Mixed forests, limestone hillsides, shrubby areas, mountains; 400-1400 m. Guizhou, Xizang, Yunnan [Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam]