Shrubs, deciduous, to 4 m tall. Branches with solid pith. Winter buds with several obtuse scales. Young branches lanate or villous. Petiole 1-3 mm; leaf blade gray-green or glaucous abaxially, ovate to lanceolate, 1-4 × 0.6-1.5 cm, abaxially pubescent or rarely subglabrous, more densely pubescent on midvein, sometimes with scattered orange-red minute glands abaxially, base cuneate to slightly cordate, margin revolute, apex obtuse to acute. Inflorescences axillary, paired flowers; peduncle 1-14 mm; bracts leaflike, ovate to linear-oblong, to 8 mm, longer than ovaries; bracteoles ± fused and cupular, up to 1/2 as long as ovary, glabrous. Neighboring 2 ovaries fused to more than half or free, ca. 2.5 mm, glabrous and glaucous. Sepals ovate, less than 1 mm, apex obtuse. Corolla white, tinged purplish red, tubular-funnelform, outside glabrous or pubescent; tube ca. 8 mm, inside pubescent and glandular at base; glandular hairs in 5 regular lines; lobes orbicular-ovate, ca. 2.5 mm. Stamens inserted in upper part of corolla tube, unequal in length, not exserted. Ovary usually 3-locular; style as long as corolla tube; stigmas globose. Berry blue-black, with glaucous bloom, globose, ca. 6 mm in diam. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Sep.

Forests, scrub; 2000-3200 m. Xizang, NW Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, Myanmar, Nepal].