Shrubs, evergreen, ca. 2 m tall. Spines absent; young branches with dense greenish brown scales. Petiole brownish green, 8-15 mm; leaf blade abaxially gray-green, adaxially drying greenish brown, narrowly obovate or obovate, rarely obovate-elliptic, 6-12.7 × 3.5-7.3 cm, leathery or nearly so, abaxially densely scaly, adaxially at first densely scaly, later glossy, lateral veins 5 or 6 per side of midrib, conspicuous on both surfaces, base broadly cuneate to obtuse, margin slightly revolute, apex acuminate. Flowers often 4-6 in axils of long shoots. Pedicel 4-7 mm. Calyx with dense gray-green and sparse brown scales, broadly campanulate, slightly 4-angled; tube 6-7.5 mm, abruptly constricted above ovary; lobes ovate-triangular or triangular, 5-5.5 × 4-4.5 mm, inside with dense silver or brown scales, base sparsely white pilose, apex acute. Filaments ca. as long or slightly longer than anthers; anthers oblong-elliptic, 2-2.5 mm. Style curved, sparsely stellate-pilose; stigma coiled, ca. 1.5 mm, apex acuminate. Fruit not seen. Fl. Jan.