Shrubs or small trees, to 6 m tall; branches glabrous. Leaves opposite, sessile or subsessile; blade drying thinly papery, brown adaxially, pale abaxially, oblanceolate, oblong-elliptic, or obovate-elliptic, 10-23 × 5.5-9 cm, glabrous on both surfaces, base cordate-auriculate, apex shortly acuminate; secondary veins 10-13 pairs; stipules ovate to broadly triangular, 7-18 mm, abruptly narrowed and aristate. Inflorescences terminal, corymbose, 6-15 cm wide; peduncle 3-5 cm, articulate near base, at articulation with reduced leaves ca. 3 cm; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, ca. 1 mm; pedicels 2-3 mm. Flowers sessile or pedicellate. Calyx with hypanthium obconic; limb deeply lobed; lobes ligulate. Corolla purplish red; tube 20-30 mm, glabrous at throat; lobes oblanceolate-oblong, 7-7.2 × 3-3.5 mm, acute. Drupe globose, 6-8 mm in diam. Fl. May-Jun.