Abelia aschersoniana (Graebner) Rehder; A. cavaleriei H. Léveillé; A. chinensis var. ionandra (Hayata) Masamune; A. hanceana M. Martens ex Hance; A. ionandra Hayata; A. lipoensis M. T. An & G. Q. Gou; A. rupestris Lindley; Linnaea aschersoniana Graebner; L. chinensis (R. Brown) A. Braun & Vatke; L. rupestris (Lindley) A. Braun & Vatke.

Shrubs, deciduous to semi-evergreen, to 2 m tall, highly branched. Young branches slender and pubescent. Leaves opposite, sometimes in whorls of 3; leaf blade ovate, 2-5 × 1-3.5 cm, abaxially sparsely pubescent, densely white villous at base of midvein and lateral veins, base rounded or cordate, margin remotely crenate-serrate, apex acute to long acuminate. Inflorescence a large terminal panicle of paired flowers (flowers opening consecutively). Flowers fragrant, with 6 oblong or lanceolate bracts at base of paired ovaries. Calyx of 5 sepals, elliptic, 5-6 mm, turning red at fruiting stage. Corolla 5-lobed, white to pink, funnelform, 10-12 mm, ca. 2 × as long as sepals, outside pubescent and gibbous at base of tube. Stamens and style long exserted; filaments slender, equal in length, inserted at base of corolla tube. Ovary cylindric, slightly compressed, pubescent, longitudinally striate; stigmas capitate. Achene crowned with persistent and slightly enlarged sepals. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Oct-Nov. 2n = 32.

This species is commonly cultivated in China.

Mountains; 200-1500 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, ?Henan, Hubei, Hunan, ?Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Japan].