Shrubs, evergreen, to 2 m tall. Winter buds with a pair of acute, cartilaginous outer scales covering membranous inner scales. Young branches, petioles, and peduncles densely stiffly hairy. Leaves broadly obovate, to broadly elliptic or suborbicular, 1-2 × 1-1.5 cm, venation reticulate, glabrous or sparsely adpressed stiffly hairy on both surfaces, abaxially sometimes glaucous, margin slightly revolute, ciliate, apex obtuse and mucronate. Inflorescences axillary with paired flowers at base of new shoots; flowers fragrant, opening early in spring; peduncle to 6 mm, glabrous to hirsute; bracts ovate-oblong, slightly exceeding ovaries, margin ciliate; bracteoles absent. Paired ovaries fused to middle or above, 6-8 mm in diam. Corolla bilabiate, white to pink, 1-1.5 cm, outside glabrous to hirsute; tube 4-5 mm, inside densely puberulent, shallowly gibbous toward base; upper lip ca. 7 mm, lobed to middle; lower lip recurved, ca. 8 mm. Stamens and style exserted from corolla tube; filaments unequal in length. Style glabrous. Berries red, 5-10-seeded; seeds brownish, oblong-ellipsoid, ca. 2.5 mm, with minute shallow pits. Fl. Mar-Apr, fr. Apr-May.
Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs stratification.
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