Tovaria oleracea Baker, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 14: 569. 1875; Maianthemum oleraceum var. acuminatum (F. T. Wang & T. Tang) Noltie; Smilacina crassifolia Kawano; S. mientienensis F. T. Wang & T. Tang; S. oleracea (Baker) J. D. Hooker & Thomson; S. oleracea f. acuminata (F. T. Wang & T. Tang) H. Hara; S. oleracea var. acuminata F. T. Wang & T. Tang.

Plants 45--80 cm tall. Rhizome tuberous, 1--2 cm thick. Stem ± zigzagged, distally pubescent or glabrescent. Leaves 4--9; petiole 3--7 mm; leaf blade oblong-ovate, oblong-lanceolate, or broadly lanceolate, 12--21 × 2--6 cm, abaxially laxly pubescent. Inflorescence a panicle, 5--10 cm; rachis pubescent. Flowers solitary; pedicel 5--10 mm. Perianth white or deep purplish red; segments nearly free, obovate-oblong, 4--6 × 2--3.5 mm, usually minutely denticulate on distal margin. Filaments subulate, ca. 1.3 mm; anthers ca. 1 mm. Style 2--2.5 mm; stigma 3-lobed. Berries red at maturity, 6--7 mm in diam., 1--3-seeded. Fl. May--Jul, fr. Aug--Oct. 2 n = 36.

Forests; 2100--3300 m. Guizhou, Sichuan, SE Xizang, NW Yunnan [Bhutan, N India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim].