Dicalix anomalus (Brand) Migo; D. fusonii (Merrill) Migo; Symplocos alata Brand; S. anomala var. fusonii (Merrill) Handel-Mazzetti; S. anomala var. nitida H. L. Li; S. argentea Brand; S. dielsii H. Léveillé; S. doii Hayata; S. esquirolii H. Léveillé; S. fusonii Merrill; S. kiraishiensis Hayata; S. morrisonicola Hayata; S. okinawensis Matsumura.

Shrubs or small trees. Young branchlets tomentellous-tomentose to brown pubescent, rarely very soon glabrescent but then still hairy directly under terminal bud. Petiole 2--7 mm; leaf blade narrowly elliptic, elliptic, or ovate, 2--7(--11) X 1.2--3 cm, thinly leathery, abaxially glabrous or rarely young leaves finely appressed hairy, adaxially brownish, olive, or sometimes yellowish green glossy, base attenuate-cuneate, margin entire or finely glandular dentate, apex acuminate, midvein and lateral veins adaxially prominent, lateral veins 5--11 pairs. Racemes 0.8--1.5(--3.5) cm, sometimes 1--3-branched from base, axis tomentose to appressed pubescent; bracts and bractlets persistent, often ovate, 1--2 mm and 0.8--1.5 mm respectively, with same indument. Pedicel 2--5 mm. Ovary ca. 1 mm, tomentose to finely appressed pubescent, rarely glabrous. Calyx 1--2.5 mm, tomentose to finely appressed pubescent, rarely glabrous; lobes semi-elliptic to semi-orbicular, 0.5--2 mm, margin ciliate. Corolla 4--6 mm. Stamens (20--)50--100 or more. Disc annular, villous, often 5-glandular. Style 4--7 mm, glabrous or hairy towards base. Drupes brown, oblong-globose, 7--10 X ca. 6 mm, apex with persistent erect calyx lobes. Fl. and fr. Apr-Dec.

Mixed forests; 400--3000 m. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Indonesia, Japan (Okinawa), Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam].