Shrubs evergreen, to 1.5 m tall. Branches purplish red to purplish brown, stout, glabrous. Leaves alternate; petiole 4-5 mm, glabrous or sparsely puberulous; leaf blade obovate or obovate-elliptic, 6-13 × 2.5-5 cm, leathery, both surfaces glabrous, base cuneate, apex subacute, often apiculate; veins 7-13 pairs. Inflorescences terminal, capitate, up to 12(-20)-flowered; bracts lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 5-12 × 2-4 mm, glabrous. Flowers fragrant. Calyx purplish red abaxially with pinkish red to white lobes; tube 6-10 mm, exterior glabrous; lobes 4, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 6-12 mm, base auriculate, apex obtuse. Stamens 8, lower whorl inserted just above middle of calyx tube, upper whorl in throat; filaments ca. 0.7 mm; anthers oblong, ca. 2 mm; upper ones 1/2 exserted from calyx tube. Disk annular, very narrow. Ovary oblong, glabrous; style short; stigma capitate. Drupe scarlet-red, globose, ca. 8 mm. Fl. Mar-May, fr. Jul-Aug.
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