Deciduous shrubs, 1-3 m tall; young branches and twigs 4-angled, with evident nodes, green or brown when dry. Petiole sessile or very short, 2-4 mm; leaf blade papery, ovate-elliptic to obovate-elliptic, sometimes oblong-elliptic, 3.5-4(-9) × 1.5-2(-3.5) cm, base cuneate or attenuate, sometimes narrowly attenuate, margin finely and sharply serrulate, apex acute or acuminate to long acuminate; lateral veins 7-10 pairs, curving forward and disappearing before reaching margin. Peduncle slender and short, 1.5-3(-8) cm, 1 dichotomous branch with 3 flowers, rarely 2 × branched with more than 3 flowers; pedicel slender, 5-7 mm. Flowers 4-merous, 7-8 mm in diam.; sepals triangular; petals greenish pink to pinkish red, oblong, apex subrounded, base attenuate. Ovary with long style persisting. Capsule reddish brown when fresh, brown, gray, or dark colored when dry, 1.3-1.5(-2) cm in diam., 4-lobed, sometimes only 1-3 lobes developing, lobes ellipsoid. Aril bright red. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Aug-Oct.
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